Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio arrives as House Republicans meet again behind closed doors at the Capitol,Oct. 13, 2023. as their new nominee for House speaker on Friday during internal voting, putting the gavel within reach of the staunch ally of GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump.Frustrated House Republicans have been fighting bitterly over whom they should elect to replace the speaker they ousted, Rep. , and the future direction of their party.
“If we’re going to be the majority party, we have to act like the majority party,” said Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., who posed a last-ditch challenge to Jordan. Absences heading into the weekend could lower the majority threshold needed, and Republicans said they were down about a dozen lawmakers as of midday Friday. No floor votes were scheduled as attendance thinned before the weekend.
Jordan also received an important nod Friday from the Republican party’s campaign chairman, Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., who made an attempt to unify the fighting factions. Handfuls of Republicans announced they were sticking with Jordan, McCarthy or someone other than Scalise — including Trump, the former president. The position as House speaker does not need to go to a member of Congress.