Republican Rep. Jim Jordan lost a second vote for speaker of the House on Wednesday, leaving many to wonder if he has any chance of succeeding in the face of strong opposition and the House’s continued inability to function.
The Ohio Republican lost in the first round of voting on Tuesday when twenty of his party members voted against him. This was a much larger number than the few he could afford to lose given the GOP’s razor-thin majority.
Some Republicans are trying to get North Carolina Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry more power as interim speaker as they try to find a way out of their leadership crisis. According to two CNN sources, Republicans are planning to introduce a resolution to empower McHenry as early as Wednesday afternoon.The chamber is effectively paralyzed in the absence of a speaker, a perilous situation given the ongoing conflict abroad and the looming possibility of a government shutdown next month.
