The House of Representatives is finally expected to vote on a new speaker on Tuesday at noon after the chamber ousted its previous leader in a historic majority vote earlier this month.<\/p>\n
Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, was chosen as Republicans\u2019 candidate for speaker last week after a tumultuous few days in which Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., the initial speaker-designate last week, was forced to drop out of the race over growing public opposition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And despite Republicans holding the House majority, it\u2019s not immediately clear if Jordan can win on the first ballot.<\/p>\n
\u2018We need to get a speaker tomorrow, the American people deserve to have their Congress, their House of Representatives, working,\u2019 Jordan told reporters on Monday evening. \u2018I felt good walking into the conference, I feel even better now.\u2019<\/p>\n
House Republicans met behind closed doors on Monday night, where Jordan made a last appeal to the holdouts against him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019ll need a simple majority to win the speaker\u2019s gavel. But with House Republicans\u2019 razor-thin margin and at least one expected absence, he can only lose three GOP votes to still clinch the speakership if all House Democrats are present.<\/p>\n
As of Monday evening, at least two House Republicans \u2013 Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. and Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla. \u2013 have said they are committed to voting for ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who was ousted by a vote of eight House Republicans and all House Democrats.<\/p>\n
But Jordan Monday appeared to have substantially reduced the number of Republicans opposed to voting for him, chipping away significantly at the 55 Republicans who refused in a secret ballot vote last week to commit to backing him on the House floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jordan became the Republican nominee after Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana withdrew amid signs he could not achieve a majority on the floor.<\/p>\n
Jordan won over a key holdout when House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., stunned political watchers on Monday morning when he said he\u2019d back Jordan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rogers had strongly opposed Jordan as recently as Friday and had suggested late last week that Republicans may have to work with Democrats to find a new leader.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Democrats tore into Jordan ahead of the vote, accusing Republicans of empowering an \u2018extremist\u2019 over his closeness to former President Donald Trump and objection to the 2020 election results.<\/p>\n
\u2018Jim Jordan is not fit to serve as Speaker of the House,\u2019 Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., wrote on social media.<\/p>\n
\u2018He is an extremist who led Trump\u2019s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, forced government shutdowns, and attacked programs like Social Security and Medicare.\u2019<\/p>\n
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., meanwhile, called on moderate Republicans to break off from their conference and join a \u2018bipartisan\u2019 coalition.<\/p>\n
\u2018The extremists have broken the House of Representatives. Only a bipartisan governing coalition can fix it,\u2019 Jeffries said on Monday morning.<\/p>\n