Jordan Clinches GOP Nomination, Setting Up Floor Vote Next Week

Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio, speaks to reporters as he arrives for a Republicans caucus meeting at the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 13, 2023. Julia Nikhinson/AFP via Getty Images

The House GOP conference is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. ET on Capitol Hill on Oct. 13—one day after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) took himself out of the running for the gavel as he was unable to get at least the needed 217 votes for victory.

The meeting comes as Israel comes under attack from the terrorist group Hamas, with just over a month until the U.S. government is set to shut down.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who lost to Mr. Scalise by a vote of 113-99 in an internal election on Oct. 11, is expected to run again. At least a dozen Republicans came out against Mr. Scalise’s bid even after he secured the nomination.

Republicans Leaving With No Votes Expected–4:45 p.m. ET

House Republicans are leaving Capitol Hill for the weekend with no votes expected until next week.

After Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) secured the nomination for speaker from his party in a 124–81 vote, many dissenters to giving Mr. Jordan the gavel remain.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told The Epoch Times that floor votes aren’t expected on the party’s speaker nominee until Tuesday.

Mr. Burchett, who supports Mr. Jordan, also said that only 152 Republicans said that they would support handing the House Judiciary chair the gavel in a vote following the nomination. 55 said they wouldn’t.

That leaves Mr. Jordan far short of what he can spare to become speaker, as all but five Republicans will need to support him on the floor.

Jordan Defeats Rival for Nomination–4:10 p.m. ET

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has officially been nominated by Republicans for speaker of the House according to lawmakers coming out of the closed-door meeting.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) told The Epoch Times that Mr. Jordan received 124 votes in the secret ballot, only a 25 vote improvement over his earlier face-off with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.).

Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), who declared his candidacy only minutes before the conference meeting, received a substantial 81 votes, demonstrating that, despite winning the nomination, Mr. Jordan still has a ways to go to reach the 217 votes needed to win the gavel. Many centrist Republicans and supporters of Mr. Scalise’s bid for the gavel remain opposed to Mr. Jordan.

Ballots Being Tallied–4:04 p.m. ET

According to lawmakers, House Republicans are currently tallying votes in the secret ballot for the nomination of a Republican speaker candidate.

Republicans Return for Nomination Vote–3:15 p.m. ET

Republicans are shuffling back into the closed-door conference meeting where they’re expected to vote where they’re expected to vote in a secret ballot on their nominee for speaker of the House.

The two contenders are Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the frontrunner expected to secure the nomination, and Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), who threw his hat in the ring earlier today.

Meeting Wrapping Up—2:59 p.m. ET

House GOP members will vote on a nominee for speaker following a 15-minute break.

House GOP Missing 13 Members—1:16 p.m. ET

There are only 209 of the 221 members of the House GOP, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who is backing Mr. Jordan, told reporters.

Therefore, there would not be enough members to vote to elect a GOP speaker.

Who is Austin Scott?—1:14 p.m. ET

Austin Scott is a congressman who has represented Georgia’s 8th Congressional District since 2011. Mr. Scott, 53, previously served in the Georgia House of Representatives for 15 years. He serves on the House Intelligence, Armed Services and Agriculture Committees.

Austin Scott Declares Candidacy—12:30 p.m. ET

Georgia congressman Austin Scott formally put his hat in the ring for the race for the speaker nomination.

“We are in Washington to legislate, and I want to lead a House that functions in the best interest of the American people,” Mr. Scott wrote on X.

McCarthy Praises Jordan—12:16 p.m. ET

“I think Jordan would make a great speaker,” Speaker Emeritus Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told Melina Wisecup of NTD, The Epoch Times’ sister outlet, in response to being asked if he endorses Mr. Jordan.

Candidate Forum at 1 p.m. ET—11:45 a.m. ET

House Republicans will have a candidate forum scheduled for 1 p.m. GOP candidates for speaker must submit their name 30 minutes before the meeting, Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) told reporters. So far, just Mr. Jordan is a candidate.

Rules Proposals Get Shot Down—11:38 a.m. ET

Rules changes proposed by a handful of House Republicans got rejected in a conference meeting. The meeting has adjourned until 1 p.m. ET, when there will be a candidate forum. So far, Mr. Jordan is the only candidate.

Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.) told reporters it will be difficult for Mr. Jordan to get 217 House Republicans in his favor.

Amendments Offered to Change Rule to Pick Speaker—11:00 a.m. ET

Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas), Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), William Timmons (R-S.C.), Bill Huizenga (R-Tenn.) offered amendments to change the rule for picking the speaker.

All the proposals are similar in that they would require at least 80 percent of the vote for a nominee. This is aimed at preventing a repeat of January when Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) only won the gavel after 15 ballot rounds on the House floor.

Mr. Roy’s proposal was earlier rejected at the Oct. 11 meeting, and instead Mr. Scalise won by a simple majority as opposed to getting the needed 217 votes for the gavel.

New York Congressman Would Back Jordan—10:36 a.m. ET

Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) told reporters he would have “no objection” to Mr. Jordan being speaker. This is significant as Mr. Molinaro is part of the moderate group of House Republicans whom Mr. Jordan must win over enough of to get the gavel. The GOP controls the House 221-213.

Congressman Wants Meeting Locked Down—9:11 a.m. ET

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) called for the meeting room door to be locked until the GOP has a speaker nominee.

“For the sake of good governance, we owe it to our constituents to meet later today at Conference, lock the door, and not adjourn until we have selected our new Speaker - weekends are no longer eligible for time off. We can no longer continue the song and dance routine of meeting and adjourning without coming to a consensus,” he wrote in an Oct. 12 letter to colleagues obtained by The Epoch Times.

Ryusuke Abe contributed to this report.