The mess in Congress, explained

Rep. Jim Jordan, surrounded by journalists in a hallway, speaks into microphones and recorders

Staff Writer

Oct. 14, 2023 3 AM PT

WASHINGTON — No one knows what’s going to happen next on Capitol Hill — perhaps House Republicans least of all.

As the House entered its 11th day without a speaker Friday afternoon, Republicans, who hold a narrow majority in the lower chamber, did not appear close to being able to elect a replacement for the ousted Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield).

Jim Jordan, the representative from Ohio who’s former President Trump’s pick for speaker, became the party’s new nominee after a secret-ballot election late Friday afternoon. Jordan, a conservative firebrand, won 124 to 81 over Georgia’s Rep. Austin Scott, who entered the race Friday morning but then vowed to back the Ohioan in a floor vote.

Still, Jordan’s path to the speakership was far from clear. At least six Republicans have publicly vowed not to vote for him, all but ensuring his defeat on the House floor unless he can change their minds.

After the first secret ballot, Republicans voted privately on whether they would back Jordan in a vote of the full House; just 152 members reportedly said they would, and 55 said they would not. One member voted present.

At least a dozen Republicans apparently missed the closed-door meeting entirely. And by 5 p.m. Friday, lawmakers’ fierce loyalty to their weekends had won out over their desire to elect a speaker as soon as possible.

Jordan recommended that members go home, and come back to try again next week. Floor votes could happen as soon as Monday evening.

The mood in the halls of Congress alternated between frustration and farce as GOP lawmakers stumbled out of the conference room, grumbling about the fractures that have made it impossible for their party to accomplish anything.

“There are people in there that are honorably trying to get to the right place, and then there are people in there, as you know, that like to go on the TV and are not necessarily negotiating for anything other than TV time,” Scott told reporters. “Makes us look like a bunch of idiots.”

McCarthy was optimistic about Jordan’s chances, arguing that he can make it to the required 217 votes. With two vacancies in the House, there are currently 221 Republican members.

“He’ll get there,” he told reporters after the closed-door meeting. “I don’t see a problem with him not getting there.”

In just the previous 48 hours, the party had selected Louisiana‘s Rep. Steve Scalise as its nominee, and he had gone on to withdraw, citing his inability to secure enough votes to win the gavel in a floor vote.

Since reclaiming the House majority, Republicans have struggled to display unity to the public.

The party’s leaders have twice relied on Democratic votes to maintain basic functions of government — in May to prevent the U.S. from defaulting on its debt, and last month to avoid a shutdown of key services that would have closed national parks and left military service members unpaid.

In late September, the party split asunder, and a handful of GOP rebels, led by Florida’s Rep. Matt Gaetz, were joined by Democrats in a vote to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s chair.

McCarthy’s removal left the chamber paralyzed as Hamas militants killed hundreds of Israelis in a surprise attack launched from the Gaza Strip last weekend. The House has remained leaderless as Israel prepares a ground invasion of the crowded Palestinian territory that could kill thousands of people.

Without a permanent speaker, it’s unclear whether the House can send Israel additional aid, as many members have called for. The Pentagon has also pressed House Republicans to approve further funding for Ukraine, warning that Russia could win that war if U.S. support dries up.

Both major parties have floated the idea of empowering Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.), the speaker pro tempore, to take more action as the interim leader so the House can keep functioning. But Republican leaders have not taken steps to make that happen.

Democrats remain universally united around their nominee for speaker: Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

If the House and the Senate can’t reach a government funding deal by mid-November, the federal government will shut down, curtailing services and leaving service members and many other government employees without paychecks ahead of Thanksgiving.

Even if Jordan can secure the speakership, it’s not clear whether he can hang on to it.

The Ohio congressman, a right-wing darling who has cast doubt on the results of the 2020 election, has the backing of Trump and Fox News host Sean Hannity. But Jordan has limited experience negotiating with Democrats, who control the White House and the Senate, and his appeal to moderates and swing voters may be limited.

Jeffries, speaking at a Friday news conference, lambasted the GOP for their division.

“The House Republican civil war continues to rage on, miring the Congress in chaos, dysfunction and extremism,” the Democratic leader said. He criticized Republicans for nominating Jordan, and characterized him as “chairman of the chaos caucus; a defender, in a dangerous way, of dysfunction; and an extremist extraordinaire.”

Republicans also had criticisms of their party’s nominee for the post.

“If Rs nominate Jordan to be Speaker, they will be abandoning the Constitution,” former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican critic of Trump, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “They’ll lose the House majority and they’ll deserve to.”

Jordan faces other potential liabilities. Among them, he faces allegations that he knew about sexual abuse at Ohio State University that overlapped with his tenure as an assistant wrestling coach there.

His denials that he knew have upset wrestlers and other advocates, who this week told The Times he had repeatedly declined to help survivors. A George Clooney HBO documentary on the scandal is under production.

Times staff writers Faith Pinho in Santa Barbara and Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu in Washington contributed to this report.