(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., created a stir on Monday by refusing to throw his weight behind House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, in his bid to secure the House speakership.
According to reports from the Daily Caller, Scalise rejected Jordan’s plea for public endorsement following an unsuccessful first round of voting.
BREAKING: Jim Jordan just met privately with Steve Scalise requesting help in the Speaker race. Scalise would NOT commit and according to CNN’s congressional reporter Annie Grayer, is “not being a team player.”
What on earth?!
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) October 17, 2023
When approached for comment, a spokesperson for Scalise neither confirmed nor denied the incident, reiterating Scalise’s commitment to support the nominee chosen by the House Republicans.
“Leader Scalise has been the only candidate throughout this process who has publicly declared he will be supportive of whomever the conference nominates for Speaker, and his position has not changed,” the spokesperson said. “He voted for Jim Jordan on the floor and will continue to do so.”
Interesting history lesson on how we got here: Steve Scalise destroyed the conservative Republican Study Committee on John Boehner’s behalf 10 years ago (RSC members and staff weren’t sufficiently supportive of Boehner’s garbage budget deal with Senate Democrats), sowing the… https://t.co/djKSEWUwaf
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) October 17, 2023
However, the office did acknowledge that Scalise had privately lobbied some members on Jordan’s behalf.
Countering reports of a refusal to support Jordan, the Scalise spokesperson said, “Not true. He has spoken to members on Jim’s behalf and you can see that many Scalise allies flipped to Jordan.”
Jordan’s initial attempt fell short by 17 votes, leading him to push for a second round of voting. In total, Jordan received 200 votes. The House has agreed to conduct the second round on Wednesday at 11:00 am, as reported by the New York Times.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) fails to win the Speakership on the first ballot.
20 Republicans voted for other candidates while all 212 Democrats supported Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), making the House Minority Leader the top vote-getter. pic.twitter.com/Pi3xjMoZje
— The Recount (@therecount) October 17, 2023
“We’re going to keep working, and we’re going to get to the votes,” Jordan affirmed on Tuesday.
During the first round, Scalise secured seven votes, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., received six, former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., acquired three, while Reps. Tom Emmer, R- Minn., Mike Garcia, R-Calif., Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Tom Cole, R- Okla., each received one vote.
