by Alexis Simendinger & Kristina Karisch
The House will usher in a now-familiar proceeding today as lawmakers prepare to vote on a Speaker nominee.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who clinched the nomination for the post Friday, watched some of the opposition to his candidacy crumble Monday after a tense weekend where his chances at the gavel stood in question. Four key lawmakers who signaled opposition to Jordan last week fell like a set of dominos, giving Jordan a significant boost ahead of an expected floor vote today.
A SEA CHANGE: The support Jordan clinched Monday is a remarkable development after two weeks of turbulence in the House GOP following the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), which left many lawmakers and outside observers skeptical Republicans could coalesce around any candidate. But Jordan now seems to be edging closer and closer to the necessary 217 votes amid a pressure campaign by his allies to win support for the conservative Republican and ally of former President Trump (The Hill).
“My gut tells me we’re somewhere south of 10 who are still being recalcitrant,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told conservative radio host Erick Erickson on Monday when asked about the opposition to Jordan. McCarthy on Monday also expressed his optimism for Jordan’s prospects (The Hill).
Jordan was able to recruit House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (Ala.) along with Reps. Ann Wagner (Mo.), Ken Calvert (Calif.) and Vern Buchanan (Fla.) to his cause, despite past statements indicating they would not do so. In total, Jordan can only afford to lose four Republican votes, assuming full attendance.
But Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Carlos A. Giménez (R-Fla.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Ken Buck (R-Colo.) all indicated Monday they still oppose Jordan, putting his math on shaky ground. And GOP sources told Axios there’s a high possibility Jordan will lose more support if the vote goes to a second ballot.
3 THINGS TO KNOW TODAY
- Lawmakers and the Biden administration conferred last week about a roughly $2 billion aid package for Israel. The administration has not been public about its pending supplemental request, which is expected to go to Capitol Hill later this week, possibly including Ukraine and Taiwan assistance.
- What you need to know: The big mistakes people make in Medicare — and how to avoid them.
- In an outcome important to Ukraine and Europe, a majority of voters in Poland on Monday sent conservative nationalists into the minority in parliament after eight years and supported the centrist opposition. Voter turnout was the highest in Poland since the fall of communism in 1989, according to the National Election Commission.
