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Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy shouted down Fox News correspondent Chad Pergram after he pushed back on the idea that Democrats played a role in ousting him as speaker.
“No, no, no, no!” McCarthy could be heard yelling at Pergram. “Let’s go back to how we got here. We wouldn’t be here if every single Democrat didn’t vote with eight Republicans to shut this place down.”
“Republicans voted against Jim Jordan today on the floor, including two votes for somebody that’s not even a member anymore,” Pergram challenged.
“Every single Democrat and eight Republicans voted to shut down one branch of government!” McCarthy insisted. “That is why we’re here today. There’s no other reason we’re here today than because of that.”
McCarthy then turned and left, leaving the timing of the next vote for speaker unclear.
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.
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Wednesday morning, Jordan reaffirmed his intention to remain a candidate by saying the House needs a permanent Republican speaker and dismissing the idea of empowering McHenry.
“We got to get a speaker so we can open the House, so I’m going to get there,” he said.
Many Republicans are against a resolution to give more power to McHenry, so it would need Democratic support to pass. As a result, Democrats may be able to negotiate for more favorable terms from Republicans in exchange for their support.
On Tuesday afternoon, Jordan, the second Republican nominee for the position this month, fell 17 votes short of the 217 he needed to win.
“We’re gonna keep going. I’ve had great conversations, great discussions with our colleagues,” Jordan said late Tuesday. “No one in our conference wants to see any type of coalition government with Democrats. So we’re going to keep working, and we’re going to get to the votes.”
Last week, after he threw his hat into the ring to become Speaker, Jordan revealed that one of his first official acts would be to ensure that Israel has all it needs in its war against Hamas.
“Sunday Morning Futures” anchor Maria Bartiromo told the Ohio Republican during a show segment, “Tell me what your first directive would be as a speaker,” to which he responded, “To help the state of Israel.”
“There will be some resolution on the floor to support the state of Israel,” Jordan continued, adding that he planned to consult with House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and the Senate.
“We will work with the State Department and the White House,” Jordan continued. “But that is something that I think gets bipartisan, bicameral, full support from the United States government because, again, this is our great friend and great ally, the state of Israel.”
“We need to give Israel the time, the space, the resources so that they can win and win decisively and send a message to these evil people who did this to” Israel, Jordan added.
“There is a special bond between the state of Israel and the American people,” Jordan said. “We need to make sure we continue that and help them win this as quickly as possible.”
“We need to make sure that they have what they need to win and send a message to stop this kind of ridiculous stuff and take action against these people who are doing these terrible things,” said Jordan.
