US Republicans were inching Tuesday toward finally appointing a new speaker of the House of Representatives, with support coalescing around a fierce Donald Trump partisan to fill a void that has paralyzed Congress for weeks at a time of domestic and international tension.
The internal squabbling in the Republican party has effectively shut down the House and made passing any measures in Congress impossible.
A vote was scheduled Tuesday on whether to hand the position — also second in line to the US presidency after the vice president — to Representative Jim Jordan, a hard-right firebrand who stands out for his loyalty to scandal-engulfed Trump.
However, Republicans have only a razor-thin majority in the House and Jordan is certain to get no Democratic support, meaning his party would have to set aside its bitter infighting to get him across the line with a near-unanimous vote.
Whoever does get the famed gavel controlling Congress’ lower chamber will be under immediate pressure to approve supporting Israel in its war with Hamas, renewing US aid for Ukraine’s fight against Russian invasion and extending the US budget, or facing an embarrassing and damaging government shutdown next month.
The House has been at a standstill since Republican speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by a hard-right rebellion on October 3 — in part over his decision to deal with the Democrats on avoiding an earlier government funding deadline.
Tough guy image
Jordan, 59, appeared initially unlikely to succeed, with many Republicans upset at his abrasive tactics. However, the tide appeared to be turning gradually in his favor by late Monday.
A former wrestling champion and Ohio State University wrestling coach who became a key Trump supporter, Jordan helped found the House Freedom Caucus, a hardline group within the Republican Party.
Once dogged by allegations from former students that he turned a blind eye to sexual abuse of wrestlers by the team doctor at Ohio State, Jordan turned his image as a fighter into political capital.
Rarely appearing with a jacket in Congress, Jordan was frequently lionized by then-president Trump as a “warrior.”
With Republicans capturing their slim majority in the House in 2022, he snagged the powerful role of chairman of the Judiciary Committee and is leading an aggressive impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden.
‘Time we unite’
Louisiana’s Steve Scalise, the Republican second-in-command, beat Jordan narrowly for the party’s speakership nomination last week before abruptly dropping out when it became clear he wouldn’t win a floor vote.
This reopened the door to Jordan, who was boosted by five vocal opponents announcing Monday that they had reconsidered their objections.
“The principles that unite us as Republicans are far greater than the disagreements that divide us. And the differences between us and our Democrat colleagues vastly outweigh our internal divisions,” Jordan said Monday in a letter to colleagues.
“The country and our conference cannot afford us attacking each other right now. It is time we unite to get back to work on behalf of the American people.”
