Republican US Congressman Jim Jordan (EFE)
The Republican candidate for the presidency of the United States House of Representatives, Jim Jordan, assured this Thursday that he is sticking to his candidacy and that he is ruling out the possibility of temporarily transferring greater powers to the current interim president, Patrick McHenry, also a conservative.
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“I’m still running and plan to be there, get the votes and win this race, but I want to talk to some of my colleagues, especially the 20 who voted against me, so we can move forward and get to work can begin for the American people.” he told the media.
Jordan suffered two consecutive defeats in the two votes held this week to win the position of “speaker,” as it is known in English.
Temporary President of the US House of Representatives Patrick McHenry (Portal)
In the first, on Tuesday, he received 200 supports, 17 less than he needed, and on Wednesday, 199. Although the Republicans have the majority in the lower house with 221 seats, around twenty of his colleagues are against supporting him.
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There was no third attempt this Thursday. Instead, it was leaked that a resolution should be put on the table to give McHenry greater powers so that this chamber can continue to function as long as the situation is not deadlocked, as new resolutions or bills cannot be approved by the sitting presidency.
Jordan, an ally of former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) and representative of the most conservative wing of the Republicans, temporarily withdrew his candidacy while waiting to attract new colleagues to his cause.
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However, after an internal meeting, the party concluded that this interim decision would not be implemented. “Our job is to elect the president, President Jim Jordan,” lawmaker Thomas Massie said on X (formerly Twitter).
At the moment the situation remains at an “impasse” and there are no new votes in this regard, while the Democratic bench criticizes the “chaos” caused by the Republicans. with the firing of former President Kevin McCarthy on October 3 after radical Matt Gaetz of the same party filed a petition against him.
The protracted leadership battle has exposed divisions among Republicans, who control the House by a slim 221-212 margin. Investors say the riots on Capitol Hill are also contributing to market volatility.
The Democrats have made it clear that they do not want Jordan. “We want a non-partisan path. This does not mean that Jim Jordan is an example of Republican extremism and a threat to our democracy,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Tuesday.
Republicans have failed to agree on a presidential candidate since a small faction of them toppled Kevin McCarthy on October 3.
A proposal introduced by Republican Rep. Mike Kelly would make the appointment possible McHenry as president until November 17 or until a permanent president is electedwhich would remove uncertainty about his current ability to lead the House of Commons.
(With information from Portal and EFE)