On Tuesday, Dave Joyce, a Republican from Ohio, is expected to act by proposing that Patrick McHenry, a Republican Representative from North Carolina, be appointed as the permanent speaker pro tempore with increased authority. This development comes amidst opposition that could pose a challenge to Jim Jordan, a Representative from Ohio, in his quest for the speaker position if a second round of voting takes place on Tuesday.
A motion to give McHenry more authority as the acting speaker will be put to a vote by Joyce. According to a few sources, McHenry would be able to get legislation to the floor for a vote if Jordan is unable to garner sufficient support on the second ballot.
As the head of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee and a close associate of former speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, McHenry is well-known for his conservative views on finance. When McCarthy was dismissed, he immediately took over as speaker pro tempore, as per a House rules procedure that required McCarthy to choose a secret list of candidates in the event of a vacancy.
A growing number of Republicans and Democrats are thinking about officially choosing Rep. Patrick McHenry as speaker pro tempore to maintain the smooth operation of Congress, as questions remain about Rep. Jim Jordan’s campaign for House speaker. Jordan, however, voiced his disapproval of this notion in the hours preceding the vote on his own speakership.
When asked about the idea of giving Patrick McHenry more authority, Jim Jorden, a far-right Republican from Ohio, responded, “I don’t think that’s the right approach.
Jordan’s campaign for speaker was unsuccessful in the first round of voting on Tuesday, when all Democrats and twenty Republicans voted against him. At 11 a.m. ET, the House is set to reevaluate Jordan’s bid for speaker.
House Speaker Election Progress:
Since Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California was removed from office two weeks ago at the instigation of a handful of right-wing Republicans, the House has been without a speaker. Congress must meet the deadline of November 17 to draft and pass a funding plan to avoid a government shutdown.
As the acting speaker, Patrick McHenry’s authority is limited to overseeing the process of selecting the next speaker. This means that the House is currently stuck in a legislative deadlock, lacking a speaker who can initiate votes on legislation.
Some Republicans have suggested extending McHenry’s term until they can reach a consensus on a permanent replacement, given the party’s inability to come together behind a candidate for speaker. It’s unclear, though, if the McHenry plan will receive the 217 votes needed to pass.
As pressure builds on the House to go back to business before the deadline of November 17 to adopt a new budget and address calls for increased aid to Israel in its fight with Hamas, Dave Joyce is anticipated to propose a resolution.
Some moderate Democrats have already voiced their support for the concept of progressively extending McHenry’s power in 15-day bursts
New York Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader in the house, has expressed interest in having McHenry serve as speaker pro tem. Leading Republican negotiator McHenry was instrumental in a bitter standoff over the country’s debt ceiling in May.
On Tuesday night, Jeffries said, “We continue to seek an authentic and genuine bipartisan path forward that we can agree upon in good faith.”
Concerns concerning the government’s capacity to handle a few pressing international issues are raised by the unpredictability surrounding the speaker’s post in the Republican-majority house.
The Republican presidential candidate for 2024, Scott, declared that if he were in the White House, he would be pushing his party to choose a speaker pro tempore so that legislative work can proceed in the House.
In the initial round of voting on Tuesday, Jim Jordan, the Republican candidate for speaker, faced defeat as 20 Republicans voted for alternative candidates instead. This marks only the second time in the past hundred years that the speaker election has extended beyond a single ballot, with the first occurrence happening during McCarthy’s victory in January. Hakeem Jeffries garnered the support of all 212 Democrats, while the 20 Republicans who abstained voted for Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise (R-LA), Lee Zeldin (R-NY), and a few other contenders. For Jordan to secure the speakership, he can only afford to lose the support of four Republican votes.
Also Read: Jim Jordan Fails to Secure House Speaker in Initial Vote as GOP Members Defect
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