22 Republicans refused to support the hard-right. Now, the US Congress is effectively unable to act.
In the election of a new speaker of the US House of Representatives, arch-conservative Representative Jim Jordan also failed in the second round. Former President Donald Trump’s confidant received 199 votes on Wednesday, once again missing the necessary majority of 217 votes. 22 Republicans refused to support the hard-right. The 212 Democratic representatives voted unanimously for the group’s leader, Hakeem Jeffries.
In the first round of voting on Tuesday, Jordan, which faces heavy reservations from moderate Republicans, received 200 votes. The current chairman of the House Judiciary Committee then pushed for another vote to break the resistance of his internal party opponents.
Two week lockdown
The Trump-backed candidate failed again in his attempt to be elected to the third highest state office in the US – and did even worse than in the first round. It was initially unclear whether Jordan would insist on a third vote or throw in the towel.
This extends the blockade of the Chamber of Deputies, which has already lasted more than two weeks. The previous president, Kevin McCarthy, was deposed on October 3, following a revolt by right-wing radicals in his own party. It was the first impeachment of a Speaker of the House in US history.
The Republican faction later named Majority Leader Steve Scalise as his successor. However, he withdrew his candidacy when it became clear that he would not obtain the necessary majority in the plenary. The faction then sent hard-liner Jordan into the race, who had already been defeated by Scalise within the party.
Chamber of Deputies paralyzed
The chaos among Republicans has far-reaching consequences: Without a president, the House of Representatives is largely paralyzed. This means, among other things, that Congress cannot decide on any additional military aid to Israel, which is attacked by the Palestinian radical Islamic organization Hamas, or to Ukraine, which is attacked by Russia. The US is also threatened with a so-called shutdown in mid-November without a resolution to the budget dispute.
Deputies are therefore considering giving more powers to the current acting president, Patrick McHenry. This could then introduce legal texts – including those with new aid to Israel and Ukraine. US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday during a visit to Tel Aviv that he would ask Congress “this week” for comprehensive military aid for Israel, which is being attacked by the radical Palestinian Islamic organization Hamas. (APA/AFP)