Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), under fire from some of his own GOP House colleagues who claim he and his allies have made threats against them, vowed to press on Thursday despite having lost two attempts to become Speaker and reports saying he is “bleeding votes.”
“Yeah there will be a vote today,” Chairman Jordan confirmed Thursday morning, CNN’s Manu Raju reports. Jordan lost the Speaker election Tuesday by 20 votes and Wednesday by 22 votes. He declined to ask the House for second votes each day. As of Wednesday afternoon, a third vote was expected Thursday around noon, but the timing has yet to be scheduled, and it’s not certain – despite Jordan’s claim – that there will be a vote.
“A LOT is up in the air right now in the House,” reports Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman. “No vote scheduled — not sure there will be one today.”
“Multiple GOP sources say that Jim Jordan is bleeding votes and is poised to lose even more Republicans if he goes through with a third ballot today,” CNN’s Raju adds. “One GOP member who opposes Jordan says there are about 30 R no votes.”
That appears to be by design.
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Republicans voting against Jordan for Speaker say they are being subjected to threats and intimidation from Jordan and his allies. One, U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) Wednesday evening alleged credible death threats.
CBS News Thursday morning reported on the death threat allegations:
After Jordan lost more votes in the second round on Wednesday than he lost on Tuesday, CNN’s Melanie Zanona reported House Republicans opposed to Jordan becoming Speaker have been “staggering” their no votes.
“Some of Jim Jordan’s opponents tell me they’ve been purposely staggering their ‘no’ votes over multiple ballots — a strategy designed to show Jordan’s speakership opposition is only growing,” Zanona wrote. “And that’s why they tell me Jordan will bleed even more support on a third ballot.”
At least three other House Republicans are considering throwing their hats in the ring if Jordan withdraws, while some Republicans appear to be coalescing around voting to make Patrick McHenry (R-NC), the appointed Speaker Pro Tempore, a temporary Speaker to allow the House to get back to work while Republicans battle over the Speaker race.
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“If there’s another … speaker’s race,” Raju notes, “it could delay consideration of the resolution to empower Patrick McHenry as a temporary speaker.”
Meanwhile, Jordan’s efforts to become Speaker have resurfaced allegations he refused to act to protect his wrestlers at Ohio State University when he served as an assistant coach. Some have come forward, alleging they told him about sexual abuse from the team doctor, or were present when he was told about the sexual abuse. A report found 177 male student athletes had been sexually assaulted or abused by the doctor, whose locker reportedly was right next to then-Coach Jordan’s.
The Speaker’s race has also served to shine a spotlight on Jordan’s “remarkably thin legislative track record.”
The Washington Post this week noted Jordan’s “precious little experience building the bipartisan consensus he would soon need” if he becomes Speaker of the House, “most notably the fact that he has yet to get a bill signed into law since being elected in 2006.”
Data appear to indicate that before this Congress, The Post reports, there do not appear to be any bills that Jordan sponsored which passed or received “any action — whether in committee or on the floor.”
There are also credible allegations of Jordan’s efforts to help overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Last week CNN’s KFILE detailed a large number of times Jordan not only questioned the results of the election, but promoted false allegations of fraud: “Jim Jordan repeatedly pushed false stolen election rhetoric in lead up to January 6.”
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“After then-President Donald Trump lost the election to Joe Biden, Jordan urged Trump not to concede, spread conspiracy theories, supported lawsuits attempting to disqualify the legitimate results and discussed plans to object to the 2020 election results on January 6, 2021.”
MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin this week pointed out Jordan’s ties to Trump surrounding January 6.
And a reminder that the day before, Jordan forwarded this text to then-WH Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, outlining how Mike Pence should refuse to honor electoral votes “that he believes are unconstitutional”:https://t.co/x2E2fon1Ko pic.twitter.com/hv6f74eGew
— Lisa Rubin (@lawofruby) October 17, 2023
There are also credible allegations, including this from last week via former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) who served as the Vice Chair of the U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack:
Jim Jordan was involved in Trump’s conspiracy to steal the election and seize power; he urged that Pence refuse to count lawful electoral votes. If Rs nominate Jordan to be Speaker, they will be abandoning the Constitution. They’ll lose the House majority and they’ll deserve to.
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) October 13, 2023
Jordan’s efforts to help Donald Trump did not start after the 2020 election.
For example, weeks before the election Jordan posted this false allegation.
Democrats are trying to steal the election, after the election.
Chief Justice Roberts is letting them do it. https://t.co/SQPh0SYtgl
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) October 20, 2020
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