Republicans Abandon Jim Jordan Bid for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, October 21 - Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have abandoned their nomination of Jim Jordan for the position of Speaker in a secret ballot on Friday, marking his third unsuccessful attempt at securing the role.
Lawmakers, as they departed Capitol Hill before the weekend, revealed their intention to hold a "candidate forum" on the upcoming Monday to select their candidate for Speaker. The announcement of the chosen candidate is expected to be made on Sunday.
The Friday vote, which highlights fractures within the Republican majority in the House, followed President Joe Biden's request for emergency funding of $106 billion from Congress, with little hope for swift approval.
The failure to elect a Speaker of the House also signifies a delay in the vote on the U.S. federal budget, which is set to expire in a matter of weeks.
Jordan, an ally of former President Donald Trump, lost the support of 25 members of his own Republican party. With each round of voting, the number of representatives in favor of his candidacy dwindled.
The U.S. Congress consists of two chambers, the Senate, where Democrats hold sway, and the House of Representatives, which has descended into unprecedented chaos. Most of the institution's authority was upended following the abrupt removal of its former leader, Kevin McCarthy, on October 3.
The vote to oust McCarthy tallied 216 votes in favor of removal, compared to 210 representatives who opposed it. All Democratic members of the House, along with some Republicans affiliated with McCarthy's party, voted for his removal, underscoring the extent of division within the Republican party.
It is worth noting that Kevin McCarthy was elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in January, following 15 rounds of voting within the House. The election came after arduous negotiations that ultimately won the support of the faction of representatives loyal to former President Donald Trump, who had previously obstructed his election.
The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is the third-highest position in the American political system, after the President and Vice President. The Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the House, with 221 seats to the Democrats' 212.