House Republicans were no closer to electing a replacement speaker for the deposed Kevin McCarthy on Thursday night, as a plan to give more power to Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry (R-NC) met with resistance from hardline members and at least one conference leader.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the Republican-appointed chairman, raised the proposal during a closed-door meeting at the Capitol, only to face backlash from supporters of his own presidential bid, including the Speaker. Republican conference, Elise Stefanik (R-NY). ).
“The people of #NY21 and America can rest assured that I strongly oppose any attempt to create a Democrat-backed coalition government,” he posted on X after the meeting.
“I will vote to support Jim Jordan for House Speaker,” Stefanik said as members remained uncertain Thursday night about when or if a third vote would take place.
House Republicans failed to coalesce around a plan to empower Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry (R-NC) on Thursday, leaving their caucus adrift. Getty Images Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) raised the proposal during a closed-door conference session at the Capitol building, but faced backlash from supporters of his presidential bid.Getty Images
Republican lawmakers left the meeting confident that the prospect of a McHenry “speaker” was not a possibility.
“I think he’s dead. … I don’t think it’s going to make it to the floor,” said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), whose estimate was shared by his Florida colleagues Kat Cammack and Vern Buchanan.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), a staunch Jordan ally, went further, calling the McHenry option “the biggest FU for Republican voters I’ve ever seen.”
“I will vote to support Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House,” said House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) after throwing cold water on the House resolution. McHenry. Getty Images representative Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks to reporters upon her arrival. for the Republican caucus on Thursday.AP
“We are returning our majority to the Democrats by agreeing to a power-sharing agreement. It is absurd,” he told reporters.
But some pro-Jordan members were ambivalent about the idea.
“I’m certainly in favor of empowering McHenry because the speaker is there to process the bills that come to the floor,” argued Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas).
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), a staunch Jordan ally, went further, calling McHenry’s resolution “the biggest FU to Republican voters I’ve ever seen.”
“The real work here happens in the committees; The real work is happening in my group working with the cartels,” she explained. “Arguing among ourselves about who is the most popular is not a real job. The real work is done in our committees. “It’s about passing legislation.”
After 16 days of deadlock following McCarthy’s Oct. 3 ouster, bad blood between the eight Republicans who voted with 208 Democrats to impeach him and the rest of the conference surfaced Thursday, as the House faces pressure to respond. to Israel’s war against Hamas Terrorists.
“We are in completely uncharted territory as a country in the middle of a war in the Middle East,” said Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), the first Green Beret elected to Congress.
“I think he’s dead. … I don’t think it’s going to make it to the floor,” said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) of McHenry’s option.REUTERS
“Where I come from, as a veteran, if you have to blow up one bridge, you better have another one to cross. Those eight clearly had no one else to cross paths with.”
House Republicans erupted when Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) walked up to address his colleagues, with a source telling The Post that nearly “the entire room booed him” and “yelled at him to sit down.” “.
The source also said Rep. Michael Bost (R-Ill.) yelled angry at Gaetz, who led the motion to vacate McCarthy’s presidency.
Tensions reached a fever pitch when Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) walked up to address his colleagues, and a source told The Post that nearly “the entire room booed him” and “yelled at him to sit down.”
Gaetz later described the incident as “like a Thanksgiving dinner” with Bost playing the “drunk uncle,” according to the Washington Examiner.
“I was at the microphone, I was talking and Matt Gaetz tried to interrupt, so I told him to sit down and he sat down,” McCarthy told reporters.
“I think the whole conference yelled at him,” he added. “I think the entire country would yell at Matt Gaetz right now. Remember, it was eight crazy people led by Matt Gaetz and all the Democrats that put us in this situation.”
“I think the entire conference yelled at him,” former Chairman Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters after the meeting. “I think the entire country would shout at Matt Gaetz right now.” Getty Images
Others spoke out about the pressure on the 22 Republicans who oppose Jordan being under an intense pressure campaign from the Ohioan’s supposed supporters.
Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) said they or their family members had received death threats after their second vote, while Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said that his wife had gone to bed with a “loaded gun” at her side after receiving anonymous threatening text messages.
But Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) emerged from the brouhaha, telling The Post that he expected a vote on a third speaker sometime Thursday night, with McCarthy apparently set to deliver a nomination speech at the request of Jordan from the plenary session.
Others spoke out about the 22 holdouts who objected to Jordan receiving death threats, with Long Island Rep. Nick LaLota and Georgia Rep. Drew Ferguson saying they had received criticism for the votes.Getty Images
However, at approximately 7 p.m., Jordan’s office announced that the next vote would take place on Friday at 10 a.m.
He met with holdouts in the afternoon to try once again to win them over, but failed to persuade members who later spoke to reporters about the discussion.
“We made the proposal to the members in the [McHenry] resolution as a way to lower the temperature and get back to work,” Jordan told reporters after leaving the conference session.
“We decided that wasn’t the place we were going to go,” he said. “I’m still running for president and I plan to go to the floor and get the votes out.”
One of those holdouts, Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler, said after meeting with Jordan that the House should empower McHenry or restore McCarthy.
“We decided that wasn’t the place we were going to go,” Jordan said. “I’m still running for president and I plan to go to the floor and get the votes.” Getty Images
“The best thing that could happen now – for our conference, the House of Representatives and the country – is for cooler heads to prevail, for past grievances to be abandoned, and for Republicans to admit that ousting Kevin was a mistake and fix the issues.” things. ”he said in a statement. “We must show the American people that we can govern effectively and responsibly, or in 15 months we will be debating who is the minority leader and preparing for Joe Biden’s second inauguration.”
The Ohio Republican had hoped to “try to shore up votes through January” with McHenry overseeing the House, a source familiar with Jordan’s plans told The Post, but that changed after it became clear that the acting president’s idea was impossible.
The same source confirmed that Jordan “wasn’t quitting.”
“Let’s do a third vote. It’s going to go back. It’s time to stop,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who advocated for the McHenry option for his group. Getty Images
At the same time, members who voted against the House Judiciary Committee chairman emphasized that his chances of getting the gavel on a third vote were slim.
“Let’s do a third vote. It’s going to go back. It’s time to stop,” said Bacon, who advocated for the McHenry option for his group. “In the end, we had to work with the Senate Democrats, the president. We have to find consensus.”
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), who opposed McHenry’s proposal, suggested that a consensus could only be reached by rallying around his party’s favorite for president.
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), who opposed McHenry’s proposal, suggested that a consensus could only be reached by gathering his party’s favorite for president.
“There is no one in this room who can reach 217 [votes]. Nobody. We expelled our speaker who had 96% support at the conference,” Nehls said after leaving the tense GOP session.
“We ousted the second most popular Republican in the country. The second most popular: who is the first? You all know who he is: Donald J. Trump,” he argued.
“I believe Donald Trump can do things that are impossible and make them a reality,” Nehls continued. “We consider it as four years of presidency. Look at the demonstrations outside this building yesterday. If Donald J. Trump were president, Hamas would not be in Israel. We would not spend billions in Ukraine without a strategy. The administration has not given us a strategy. If you put Donald Trump here, he can fix his plans. “I recommend that we give it 100 days.”
Gaetz told reporters earlier this month that conversations with the 77-year-old former president had assured him that the move to oust McCarthy had been “the right thing to do.”
Trump has denied any involvement in the plot against McCarthy.
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