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House GOP barrels toward uncertain Speaker floor vote

House Republicans are speeding towards a floor vote on their Speaker nominee, Representative Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), scheduled for this week, despite the fact that he remains far from the 217 votes needed to secure the gavel on the House floor.

Jordan secured the nomination for Speaker with a 124-81 vote on Friday, defeating his last-minute challenger, Representative Austin Scott (R-Ga.). However, when the conference members were polled about their support for Jordan’s nomination on the floor, the vote stood at 152-55, leaving him well short of the required 217 votes.

The planned vote for this Tuesday sets the stage for another public confrontation over the Speaker’s position, reminiscent of the drawn-out election that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) went through in January.

Some of Jordan’s supporters hope that bringing his nomination to the floor and compelling Republicans to publicly declare their allegiance will increase his support and potentially put him within reach of the Speaker’s gavel. On the House floor, Jordan will compete against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who was unanimously nominated by Democrats to be Speaker.

Nevertheless, a group of House Republicans who do not support Jordan has vowed to put forth a challenger against the Judiciary Committee chairman on Tuesday, with the aim of denying Jordan the Speaker’s position.

The House GOP conference is scheduled to convene behind closed doors at 6:30 p.m. Monday. Supporters of Jordan recognize that, as of now, he does not have the votes to secure the Speaker’s position, but they remain hopeful that their efforts over the weekend will help bring him closer to the necessary 217 votes.

Should Jordan, like Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), fail to secure the votes, some members are already exploring alternative candidates, such as Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern (Okla.) or House Republican Conference Vice Chairman Mike Johnson (La.). However, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has dismissed the prospect of these two names coming up short.

In the background, while the House wrestles with its leadership question, the ability of Congress to support Israel amid its battle against Hamas has come into question, as the House remains without a Speaker. Without a permanent Speaker in place, the House is unable to conduct legislative business, adding to the increased focus on the Speaker’s race.

Jordan has emphasized the need for the House GOP conference to unite so Congress can provide the necessary support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas. In the larger context, this race for the Speaker’s position underscores the ongoing power struggle within the Republican Party.

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