Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) will hold a press conference Friday morning after his candidacy for House speaker lost some support among Republicans in a second ballot on Wednesday.
“[Mr. Jordan] will hold a press conference tomorrow morning, Friday, October 20, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. ET in the Rayburn Room of the U.S. Capitol,” read a statement shared on X by the House Judiciary GOP on Thursday night.
On Thursday afternoon, the speaker designate had said he was “still running” but wanted to speak with the 22 GOP members who voted against him in a crucial second ballot “so that we can move forward and begin to work a plan to go to the floor.”
Mr. Jordan reportedly met with the holdouts on Thursday afternoon, reported CNN.
On Wednesday, the number of votes against his bid grew by two from 20 since the first round of voting the day before.
Mr. Jordan did not initially tell reporters on the Hill on Thursday afternoon when Republicans would take the vote to the floor. Mr. Jordan’s spokesperson, Russell Dye, late Thursday confirmed that a third speaker vote will be held 10 a.m. ET Friday, reported Reuters.
On Thursday, the Republican majority considered a plan to temporarily empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) to conduct House business for the next several months.
Mr. Jordan described the pitch as a way “to lower the temperature and get back to work.”
The measure would have extended Mr. McHenry’s role as speaker pro tempore until a new speaker is elected, or either Nov. 17 or January 2024, whichever comes first.
However, the proposed plan appeared to be faltering on Thursday.
“We decided that wasn’t where we’re going to go,” said Mr. Jordan, the Judiciary Committee chairman and founder of the hardline House Freedom Caucus.
During Thursday’s meeting, tensions flared as Republican factions pointed fingers at each other for causing turmoil within their majority, according to lawmakers.
At one point, Mr. McCarthy told Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who led the motion to oust the former speaker, that it wasn’t his turn to speak.
“We’re shaking up Washington, D.C. We’re breaking the fever. And, you know what, it’s messy,” Mr. Gaetz said later.
The ongoing stalemate could keep the House closed for an extended period after Mr. McCarthy’s unprecedented removal as speaker.
Mr. McHenry, who is well-liked by his colleagues, has also rejected the idea that his temporary role be made more permanent. The move would be unprecedented.
“I did not ask for additional powers,” said Mr. McHenry. “My duty is to get the next speaker elected. That’s my focus.”
The speaker pro tempore rule was established after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to guarantee government continuity in the event of a speaker vacancy.
Some Republicans see Mr. Jordan as too hardline for the speaker role. Others have expressed dislike for the aggressive tactics employed by Mr. Jordan’s supporters to secure their votes. One lawmaker said that she had received death threats.
On Wednesday, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) said in a statement that she “cannot stomach or support” a bully. She said she had received “credible death threats and a barrage of threatening calls.”
She had voted against Mr. Jordan on the second ballot.
The holdouts against Mr. Jordan’s speakership bid range from seasoned legislators and committee chairs worried about governing, to newer lawmakers from districts where voters prefer President Joe Biden to former President Donald Trump.
Mr. Jordan’s refusal to concede appears to have emboldened some of the Republicans.
“The way out is that Jim Jordan has got to pull his name,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who voted twice against him. “He’s going to have to call it quits.”
Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.) said, “It’s not going to happen.”
Mr. Jordan is an ally of former President Donald Trump, who is running a 2024 presidential campaign, and who endorsed his speakership candidacy.
