Speaker Emeritus Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) nominated House Judiciary Chairman and Speaker Designee Jim Jordan (R-OH) for the speaker’s gavel on Friday, emphasizing he has been an “effective legislator” who takes time to negotiate and reach comprise on bills until they can pass.
“Jim Jordan is an effective legislator,” McCarthy said ahead of the third unsuccessful vote for Jordan. “To legislate is about more than the name on the bill. It’s about reaching a compromise and working long hours behind the scenes to get the job done.”
“When you are the chairman of a committee, you’re responsible for dozens of bills passing the house and being signed into law,” he added.
McCarthy then noted Jordan “has passed more bills through the House in just 3 years” as the top GOP member of the Judiciary Committee “than the entire Democrat leadership team that has their collective 28 years in Congress.”
His remarks took aim at House Democrats and particularly House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, who said last week that Jordan “hasn’t passed a single bill,” as the Washington Post noted.
McCarthy pointed out that Democrat Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar has passed one piece of legislation signed into law in his career, which was for a post office in San Bernardino, and contrasted that with bills Jordan has been a part of drafting and passing out of the chamber.
“Jim Jordan, on the other hand, has a hand in drafting bills like the REINS Act to curb unaccountable bureaucrats,” McCarthy said. “He helped negotiate and pass H.R. 2, the strongest border security bill this house has ever been.”
“And many of you know because you were in the room, watching Jim find compromise, watching Jim listen to your positions and finding a bill that can pass, a let’s put this in reality: we’ve had large majorities, but we never could pass a border security bill,” McCarthy said. “That takes leadership.”
The former speaker, who was removed two weeks ago via a motion to vacate, said judging lawmakers by the number of bills with their names attached is “using the wrong measuring stick.”
“Some of my members I know with the most bills to their name are the most selfish. Jim Jordan, on the other hand, is one of the most selfless members I know,” he emphasized.
McCarthy had conversations with the freshmen members who serve under Jordan on the Judiciary Committee and read several quotes from them.
File/U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) delivers remarks alongside House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as the House of Representatives holds their vote for Speaker of the House on the first day of the 118th Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 03, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty)
“Jim empowers every member of the judiciary to pursue what interests them,” one member told McCarthy.
“He lets each of us take the lead on the issues that are important to us, even letting freshman and junior members take important roles,” another said in his or her conversation with McCarthy.
“He trusts our judgment on how we handle issues and witnesses and always seeks our input on key issues,” said another.
McCarthy went on to state that Jordan “is the right person to take that seat behind me to be our next speaker of the House.”
He has spent “his entire career fighting for freedom, no matter what, no matter the odds,” McCarthy later said, adding that he is “ready for the job.”
Jordan ultimately lost the third ballot, which saw 25 Republican defectors, up from 22 on the second ballot and 20 on the first ballot.
THIRD ROUND -- 25 Republicans against Jordan
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 20, 2023
He continues to lose ground in his bid to be speaker.
Our unofficial count is that he had 194 votes in this round.
According to Fox News’s Chad Pergram, the three Jordan lost the support from on Friday were Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Thomas Kean (R-NJ), and Marcus Molinaro (R-NY).
3 new GOPers voted against McCarthy on 3rd ballot: Fitzpatrick, Kean, Molinaro. Vote being officially tabulated now
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 20, 2023
