Jim Jordan has reportedly suspended his bid for Speaker of the House after failing to receive the required number of votes in the first two rounds to secure the gavel.
Jordan met with a small group Wednesday night that included Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and a few aides to discuss his next moves, according to a source familiar with the meeting.
Jordan is reportedly going to back a move that would formally broaden McHenry’s powers through January in exchange for McHenry continuing to support Jordan as speaker-designate.
House leaders would use Jordan’s position as speaker-designate over the next few months to bring Jordan, at least informally, into the leadership fold as they test out his abilities to perform the role in an official capacity through official events, fundraisers, and more, PunchBowl News reported on Thursday.
Some of Jordan’s supporters, however, reportedly do not support expanding McHenry’s power as Interm Speaker, so a deal would have to be made with some Democrats if more than 4 republicans vote against the expanded powers.
Freedom Caucus member Chip Roy tweeted on Thursday “If the @HouseGOP dares cut a deal with Dems to empower a Speaker-Pro-Tem in violation of tradition & norms, & possibly the Constitution to likely pass another CR at Pelosi levels & more supplemental (not paid for) spending – including Ukraine … the GOP might as well be the Whigs.”
Roy also tweeted that “There is no path for a GOP-only empowerment of a Speaker Pro-Tem so it will necessarily require Democrat votes. It is, in any event, a fool’s errand – breaking with tradition & setting constitutionally questionable precedent to empower someone who is NOT the duly elected Speaker but will be empowered to negotiate a CR & massive supplemental bills (approx. $100BB) for Israel & Ukraine (& $ to process more illegals). It will then set the @HouseGOP up for a Xmas omni “deal.” I strongly oppose. #ShallChuseTheirSpeaker“