Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin McCathy</a> (R-CA) praised his successor in the role of House speaker, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA), on Sunday for overseeing the long-awaited release of more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/january-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 6</a> footage to the public.
In an interview on Fox News&#8217; &#8220;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6341442240112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunday Morning Futures</a>,&#8221; McCarthy said, &#8220;Johnson&#8217;s doing a tremendous job with that, adding more and more&#8221; after the new speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-johnson-announces-public-release-of-january-6-footage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced the rolling online disclosure</a> of tens of thousands of hours of video on Friday.
Before he was ousted as speaker last month, McCarthy kickstarted the process of releasing U.S. Capitol security tapes, which began to show the public an unvarnished look at the scenes of the U.S. Capitol breach on January 6, 2021, in contrast to the images shown during hearings led by the January 6 Committee when Democrats ran the House.
McCarthy shared access with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-mccarthy-releases-41000-hours-of-exclusive-jan-6-footage-to-tucker-carlson-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson</a>, who aired footage that included video showing police officers appearing to stand by passively as people poured into the Capitol. Also during his speakership, the House had begun to grant <a href="https://rollcall.com/2023/09/01/media-defendants-to-get-access-to-capitol-video-from-jan-6-attack/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restricted access</a> to other members of the media and January 6 defendants.
&#8220;The one thing I had found is, we wanted transparency. So, when we took the majority, [the] first thing I did was make sure those tapes became under the responsibility of House Administration. What we found was, [the] January 6 Committee had lied to us, that there were thousands of more hours of tape,&#8221; McCarthy said.
&#8220;And the first thing I wanted to make sure is, anybody who was in jail, had the right to a defense was able to see those tapes. So that was the priority,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The defense was able to go through those. We started bringing press in to be able to see it. We were building a portal where every time the press looked at something and they went through it, the public was able to get it.&#8221;
One particular area in which the video footage made a difference, as noted by McCarthy, was to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-of-reconnaissance-tour-story-fires-back-at-january-6-committee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">counter allegations</a> about Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) — who is now working to process the footage for public release on a rolling basis as chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight for the Committee on House Administration — giving a “reconnaissance tour” a day before January 6.
&#8220;Barry Loudermilk has done a tremendous job, congressman from Georgia walking through this,&#8221; McCarthy said, adding, &#8220;Remember, he got — they accused him of something that&#8217;s not true, the January 6 Committee, and the tapes actually proved that it was not true, that he wasn&#8217;t giving tours inside. And that&#8217;s really what drove this.&#8221;

Kevin McCarthy

McCarthy Praises Speaker Johnson For ‘Tremendous Job’ Releasing January 6 Tapes

McCarthy Praises Speaker Johnson For 'Tremendous Job' Releasing January 6 Tapes

Congress

January 6

January 6 Committee

U.S.

U.S. House of Representatives

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rep. Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) said he is unsure whether he wants to remain a member of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> after losing the speakership last month.
The lawmaker <a href="https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ip/date/2023-11-12/segment/01" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told CNN&#8217;s Manu Raju</a> in a recent interview that he will take some time to think about his options heading into 2024, when McCarthy and other members of the House are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-dem-announces-plan-to-resign-early-in-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">up for re-election</a>.
&#8220;I got the holidays. I&#8217;ll talk to my family about the ideas of what [to do] going forward and then I&#8217;ll make a decision,&#8221; McCarthy said in the conversation that aired on Sunday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
McCarthy on staying in the House. “There are so many ways you can do that to make sure you’re getting the job done. And I’m going to look at all options.” <a href="https://t.co/8jdvHZqAeZ">pic.twitter.com/8jdvHZqAeZ</a>
&mdash; Manu Raju (@mkraju) <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1723762476536197424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
McCarthy, who <a href="https://kevinmccarthy.house.gov/about/our-district" target="_blank" rel="noopener">represents</a> the 20th Congressional District in California, was first elected to Congress in 2006 and has worked his way up the GOP ranks.
He <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-kevin-mccarthy-elected-next-speaker-of-the-house">won</a> the speaker&#8217;s gavel in the 15th round of voting in January, but only after making concessions, such as restoring the ability of a single member to trigger the process that would lead to such a no-confidence vote.
Citing frustrations with McCarthy’s leadership, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-matt-gaetz-speaker-vacate-congress-e7e5ccc6cf79ccbf5b4a7b73b9d5a3ae" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gaetz-floats-bipartisan-compromise-on-motion-to-vacate">“motion to vacate the chair”</a> in early October after the House passed a short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown.
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Gaetz and seven other Republicans joined with Democrats in a 216-210 vote that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-ousted-from-speakership-after-democrats-side-with-matt-gaetz">ousted McCarthy</a>.
The GOP-led House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-elects-mike-johnson-as-speaker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elected</a> Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA) as its 56th speaker in late October, ending a weeks-long stalemate.
Upon losing the speakership, McCarthy <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4242730-mccarthy-says-he-plans-to-run-for-reelection-following-ouster-as-speaker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assured</a> reporters that &#8220;yes&#8221; he would seek re-election and said he would not resign, asserting that he had &#8220;a lot more work to do.&#8221; But the California Republican stressed to Raju that he is now reassessing his future plans.
After expressing a desire to make certain that Johnson had the &#8220;resources&#8221; he needs as the new speaker, McCarthy added, &#8220;I want to make sure that I continue to do the job for my district. But I also want to make sure that you could — I always believe, and you would hear me all the time, you never give up in the process, right? Well, there&#8217;s so many ways you can do that to make sure you&#8217;re getting the job done. And I&#8217;m going to look at all options.&#8221;
Asked which way he is leaning, McCarthy said, &#8220;I don&#8217;t know.&#8221;
David Giglio, a businessman who is <a href="https://themessenger.com/politics/republican-david-giglio-announces-primary-bid-challenging-kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">running</a> to take McCarthy&#8217;s seat as an &#8220;America First&#8221; candidate aligned with former President Donald Trump, called on the incumbent to step down.
&#8220;We cannot drain the Washington swamp by maintaining the status quo, and that’s why Kevin McCarthy must resign immediately,&#8221; Giglio said in a statement.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy

Kevin McCarthy Uncertain About His Future In The House After Losing Speakership

2024 Election

House Speaker

Politics

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Republicans</a> selected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Tuesday night to be their fourth nominee for speaker in the three weeks since <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rep. Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) was voted out of the role.
Johnson, who is the vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, <a href="https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik/status/1717000646837084463" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secured victory</a> on Capitol Hill after House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/emmer-drops-speaker-bid-hours-after-winning-gop-nomination" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped out</a> as the third nominee — a designation Emmer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-gop-nominates-tom-emmer-for-speaker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">held for roughly four hours</a> — becoming the third unsuccessful GOP pick joining House Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/steve-scalise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Scalise</a> (R-LA) and Judiciary Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH).
The next House floor vote could happen as early as Wednesday, as Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1716950226639151507" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gaveled</a> the chamber out until noon. Because Republicans have a narrow majority in the House, Johnson can only afford to lose a handful of GOP votes to win the speakership if all Democrats oppose his bid. So far, Democrats have rallied behind their nominee, Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hakeem-jeffries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hakeem Jeffries</a> (D-NY).
In a whirlwind series of events on Tuesday, Emmer won the GOP nomination in the afternoon, but it took several votes. He defeated Johnson <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1716855817700356415" target="_blank" rel="noopener">117-97</a> in the fifth and final ballot. Afterward, <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1716869614053871678" target="_blank" rel="noopener">roughly two dozen Republicans</a> opposed Emmer in a roll call vote to gauge how much support he would have in a House floor vote.
Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>, the GOP frontrunner in the 2024 presidential race, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-declares-opposition-to-gop-speaker-nominee-emmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">then chimed in</a> on his Truth Social platform to call Emmer a &#8220;RINO&#8221; — or Republican in name only — and encouraged members not to back him. Though he tried to flip holdouts, Emmer ended up dropping out during a meeting with the GOP conference.
After a new candidate forum in the early evening, the House GOP held a fresh round of votes for the nomination. The declared candidates included Reps. Johnson, Byron Donalds (R-FL), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), and Mark Green (R-TN). A fifth contender, Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX), <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRWilliams/status/1716965733639262597" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a late entry after the candidate forum. Yet another competitor, Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), dropped out and <a href="https://twitter.com/emilybrooksnews/status/1716947533682069903" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsed</a> Johnson before voting got underway.
Johnson prevailed in the third round over Donalds, the only remaining declared candidate by that point, <a href="https://twitter.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/1716996670381052242" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with 128 votes</a>. Attendance was <a href="https://twitter.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/1716989758948126898" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lower</a> than it was for the votes earlier in the day. More than 40 members voted for McCarthy in the final ballot while Donalds got 29 votes.
If the GOP continues to struggle with getting a nominee elected as the new speaker, some other ideas have been floated to chart a way forward. One of them, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/live-blog/house-republicans-choose-new-speaker-nominee-live-updates-rcna121674/rcrd22879?canonicalCard=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as reported by NBC News</a>, was McCarthy proposing a plan to be reinstalled as speaker and have Jordan come on as assistant speaker.
A candidate needs 217 votes or a simple majority to win the speakership. Jordan, the only GOP nominee so far this month to get to a House floor vote, got as high as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-jordan-bleeds-more-support-in-third-speaker-ballot-defeat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">200 votes while Jeffries got up to 212</a>. In remarks after being nominated and a <a href="https://twitter.com/realannapaulina/status/1717000746317599062" target="_blank" rel="noopener">roll call vote</a> to gauge his chances of winning on the House floor, Johnson said the GOP conference is <a href="https://twitter.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/1717007837363134505" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;united&#8221;</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/cami_mondeaux/status/1717007461444694345" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;ready to govern.&#8221;</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
GOP speaker nominee <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMikeJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepMikeJohnson</a>: &quot;Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system. This conference that you see, this House Republican majority, is united.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/YBuG2esWd4">pic.twitter.com/YBuG2esWd4</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1717013130419548411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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When Johnson first <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMikeJohnson/status/1715753985540239776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> his candidacy over the weekend, he said a speaker should strive to &#8220;restore trust,&#8221; &#8220;advance a comprehensive policy agenda,&#8221; &#8220;promote individual members,&#8221; &#8220;engage members,&#8221; &#8220;effectively message,&#8221; &#8220;build and utilize external coalitions,&#8221; and &#8220;develop and grow our majority.&#8221; He also emphasized, &#8220;We all agree the urgency of this hour demands a specific plan and bold, decisive action.&#8221;

Rep. Mike Johnson

House GOP Picks Mike Johnson As Fourth Nominee For Speaker

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republicans</a> selected House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) on Tuesday to be their third nominee for speaker three weeks after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rep. Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) was voted out of the role.
Emmer <a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1716851015889170908" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secured</a> the majority in the fifth secret ballot in a face-off against Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), who is the vice chairman of the House Republican Conference. A House floor vote for the speakership could happen as early as later on Tuesday. Because Republicans have a narrow majority in the House, Emmer can only afford to lose a handful of GOP votes if all Democrats oppose his bid.
<a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1716813829890507006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seven</a> lawmakers faced off across several rounds of voting, including Reps. Emmer, Johnson, Jack Bergman (R-MI), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Kevin Hern (R-OK), Austin Scott (R-GA), and Pete Sessions (R-TX). The candidate with the <a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1716800145906430293" target="_blank" rel="noopener">least amount of votes</a> was dropped following each of the first four ballots. Sessions was <a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1716800145906430293" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped</a> after the first round, Bergman after the second, and Scott after the third. Hern came in last and dropped out following the fourth vote while Donalds bowed out, setting up Emmer and Johnson to go head-to-head in ballot No. 5.
Emmer led the field across every ballot but did not clinch the majority until the last one. The final tally showed Emmer with <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1716855817700356415" target="_blank" rel="noopener">117 votes and Johnson with 97</a>.
A follow-up GOP conference vote to see if Emmer would have enough support in a House floor vote revealed <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1716863571395502452" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than two dozen holdouts</a>, signaling that Emmer lacks the 217 votes or a simple majority within his own party to win the speakership, though he could still convince skeptical Republicans to back his candidacy.
Another contender, Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL), bowed out before the voting got underway on Tuesday, <a href="https://twitter.com/cami_mondeaux/status/1716810842908615060" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> in a statement, &#8220;If withdrawing my name can help expedite that process even a little, then I will gladly step aside.&#8221; A ninth candidate, Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA), withdrew from the race during a candidate forum on Monday night.
There had been scrutiny on the voting record of each candidate, including when it came to certifying the results of the 2020 election. Emmer stood out as the only candidate who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-controlled-house-passes-same-sex-marriage-bill-39-republicans-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> last year to pass a bill that codified same-sex marriage protections. Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA) <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1716831128630522054" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CNN that he was &#8220;very concerned&#8221; about the vote and said there was no way he would vote for Emmer.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Here&#39;s how all the speaker candidates voted on key votes over the last few years. 
from <a href="https://twitter.com/PunchbowlNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PunchbowlNews</a> AM<a href="https://t.co/ec4I0rQQnJ">https://t.co/ec4I0rQQnJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/MRyITTJnWz">pic.twitter.com/MRyITTJnWz</a>
&mdash; Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1716452640349978858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
All the candidates signed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-consider-unity-pledge-for-speaker-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;unity pledge&#8221;</a> in which members vowed to support the nominee, according to Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE), though <a href="https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1716590038035619912" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not every lawmaker</a> in the GOP conference supported the idea. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) reportedly <a href="https://twitter.com/lindsemcpherson/status/1716839258315469186" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> members should consider lowering the House floor vote threshold from a majority to a plurality to win the speakership if a Republican nominee cannot muster enough support to secure the gavel.
The GOP-led House of Representatives has been without a speaker for about 21 days since eight Republicans joined with Democrats to oust McCarthy in a no-confidence vote. The vacuum has left the chamber in limbo with Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) serving as speaker pro tempore and no movement on pressing issues, such as reaching a deal to avert a government shutdown that could happen as early as mid-November.
House Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/steve-scalise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Scalise</a> (R-LA), who won the GOP nomination in a face-off against Judiciary Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH), ended his candidacy before a House floor vote could happen as he faced opposition from a small group of Republicans. Jordan then won the nomination in a second ballot. However, the GOP conference elected to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-gop-drops-jordan-as-speaker-nominee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drop</a> Jordan as its nominee last week after he failed to win speakership across three House floor ballots in which he got fewer votes each time.
Democrats nominated Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hakeem-jeffries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hakeem Jeffries</a> (D-NY) for speaker and have so far voted in unison for him in all the speakership votes this month. There could be a shift in strategy, as <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDeanPhillips/status/1716787827713732972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punchbowl News reported</a> that House Democrats see Emmer as the least disagreeable candidate and some would sit out of a House floor vote to help him win if they got certain assurances. But the <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/speaker-candidates-face-major-challenges/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news outlet noted</a> Emmer has no interest in negotiating with them.
As the majority whip, Emmer is <a href="https://www.house.gov/leadership" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tasked</a> with rallying votes for the party&#8217;s legislative priorities. When it came to the race for speaker, Emmer had the support of McCarthy, who <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4269413-mccarthy-backs-emmer-for-speaker-he-knows-how-to-do-the-job/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the Minnesota Republican &#8220;knows how to do the job.&#8221;
In a <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/1715744128166760891" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to colleagues explaining what he would do as speaker, Emmer pledged to use a &#8220;culture of teamwork, communication, and respect to build on the moments that brought us success, learn from our mistakes, and keep fighting for each and every one of you and our Republican majority.&#8221;
He also said: &#8220;I will also always be honest and direct with all of you, even if we disagree. I will never make a promise I cannot fulfill. I expect to be held accountable, and you can expect that we will also keep you to your word.&#8221;
Former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner in the 2024 presidential race, had endorsed Jordan for speaker. Trump declined to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-house-speaker-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pick a new favorite</a> among the new slate of candidates.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN)

House GOP Nominates Tom Emmer For Speaker

House GOP Picks Emmer As Third Speaker Nominee In 3 Weeks

House Republicans

Jim Jordan

Steve Scalise

The first rule of politics is this: Never run directly into a tree while kicking yourself repeatedly in the groin.
Republicans in Congress seem to have forgotten this rule.
Two weeks ago, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), along with limelight-seeking compatriots like Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), decided it was time to get rid of Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. Sure, McCarthy had only been speaker for approximately five minutes. And sure, in that time, McCarthy had defeated Joe Biden in a standoff over a continuing resolution and was preparing to pry concessions out of Senate Democrats that amounted to a cut in discretionary spending plus border funding.
But it was time for McCarthy to go.
Why?
Because of “The Establishment,” that’s why.
What, you may ask, is “The Establishment&#8221;?
Well, apparently, defining The Establishment is a little like asking someone to capture the wind in a bottle or to trap starlight with one’s hands.
Sometimes, The Establishment means Republicans who are in favor of fiscal responsibility, like that “Establishment Toady Paul Ryan.” 
Sometimes, The Establishment means Republicans who want to expand the size and scope of government, like that “Establishment RINO George W. Bush.”
Sometimes, The Establishment means Republicans who are socially conservative, like that “Establishment Stooge Mike Pence.” 
Sometimes, The Establishment means Republicans who are socially liberal, like that “Establishment Pawn Susan Collins.”
Sometimes, The Establishment means people who are hawkish on foreign policy, like that “Establishment Dunce Lindsey Graham.” 
Sometimes, The Establishment means people who are dovish on foreign policy, like that “Establishment Doofus Jon Huntsman.”
Now, the term “Establishment” used to have a meaning. It used to mean a person with power who was too conciliatory to Left-wing positions.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1834-republicans-please-stop-kicking-yourself-in-the-nuts-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h4>
But during Donald Trump’s presidency — when he was actually president — we learned power had nothing to do with it. Trump, the most powerful person on the planet, wasn’t The Establishment.
During Trump’s presidency, we also learned friendliness to Left-wing positions didn’t make one “Establishment” either — after all, it was Trump who declared entitlement programs, the biggest drivers of America’s debt, were off the table for discussion.
So, what makes someone The Establishment?
Insufficient posturing.
That’s it. That’s the whole thing.
Posturing.
See, the only way to avoid being labeled “Establishment” these days is to get nothing done, but to yell really, really loudly, particularly about The Establishment. To be anti-Establishment is to complain about losing elections while doing nothing to win them. It’s to shout, “The game is rigged!” — while refusing to even engage in the game at all. 
Being anti-Establishment is apparently about whining.
It’s about showing what you’re against by posturing, and then telling your audience if you posture theatrically enough, your opposition will surrender. Passing legislation is a no-no. Recognizing reality? Nope. Doing any of that is surrendering to the opposition. You can vote with Democrats to take down a Republican Speaker of the House with no backup plan, and you’ll be considered anti-Establishment, all because you yell about The Establishment.
Now, that’s all fun and games in the commentariat. After all, in my industry, it’s easy to remain ideologically pure. The beauty of what people like me do for a living is that we can speak on what we wish would happen, what the best of all possible worlds would be; we can point out where our politicians are falling short of our principles. We can keep the pressure on the politicians. That’s our job.
But when it comes to Congress, purism is a recipe for stagnation and disaster. That’s because, believe it or not, budgets do need to be passed. Legislation does need to be crafted. If you don’t do those things, Americans put you in minority status in the halls of power.
Permanently.
Because Republicans have to deal with a very slim majority in the House, a Democratic Senate, and a Democratic President, any Speaker of the House will have to fall short of perfectly performative opposition. Being Speaker of a fractious caucus faced with a minority position in the upper chamber and White House necessarily means cutting deals, not just posturing. That was true of McCarthy. It would have been true of Steve Scalise (R-LA). It would have been true of Jim Jordan (R-OH) too. If Matt Gaetz suddenly became Speaker, it would be true for him too. 
Our Congress, though, has now been filled with people responding to the incentive structure created for the commentariat. You get attention and money for posturing, not legislating. You yell about The Establishment — i.e., anyone who does anything in Congress — and you win points.
And so, according to Matt Gaetz, Kevin McCarthy was The Establishment. And that meant he had to be defenestrated in favor of, well, someone. Or no one. Or maybe someone who is a no one.
We don’t quite know yet. 
What we do know is that the Speaker won’t be Kevin McCarthy, he of the 78% Heritage Action Score. And it won’t be Steve Scalise, he of the 82% Heritage Action Score, or Jim Jordan, who has the same Heritage Action Score. Maybe it will be Tom Emmer (R-MN), he of the 82% Heritage Action score, but probably not. And it probably won’t be Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), he of the 82% Heritage Action Score.
Actually, it’ll probably be no one for a good while longer. Meanwhile, Biden will work to ram through a $105 billion defense package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine and $10 billion for Gaza — all it will take is peeling off a few Republicans to vote with the Democrats. Again. 
Now, you know who could have helped to stop that? Who could have proposed single issue spending bills on foreign policy? A Speaker of the House. But at least The Establishment was stopped. That’s the important thing.
And there’s good news: If Republicans keep losing the way they did in 2018, 2020, and 2022, they won’t have to worry about being The Establishment — because they won’t have power at all.
Note that none of this has anything to do with principle. It has nothing to do with conservatism or victory. It has to do, instead, with applause and cash and fame.
But for many people in the Republican Party, that’s apparently good enough.
It shouldn’t be.
Republicans can still win. They can still push the ball forward for conservatism. But to do that, they’ll need to actually think about how to win, not merely how to posture. They’ll need to stop running directly into trees. If they don’t, all they’ll end up with is a minority position in Congress, a Democrat in the White House, and a terrible ache in the groin.
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Screenshot 2023-10-23 at 3.48.37 PM copy

Republicans, Please Stop Kicking Yourself In The Groin

Ben Shapiro

Matt Gaetz

Readers Pass

Republicans

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) slammed Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and seven other Republicans on Sunday, saying they caused the U.S. Congress to be paralyzed as war breaks out in the Middle East.
McCarthy made the remarks during an interview with Kristen Welker on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; on Sunday when asked about the ongoing drama in the House — which has not had a speaker for three weeks after the group of Republicans joined Democrats and voted to oust McCarthy.
The seven other Republicans included Andy Biggs (AZ), Ken Buck (CO), Eli Crane (AZ), Bob Good (VA), Matt Rosendale (MT), Tim Burchett (TN), and Nancy Mace (SC).
&#8220;What do you say to Americans who look at this chaos and believe it&#8217;s a sign that Republicans cannot govern?&#8221; Welker asked.
&#8220;Well, that&#8217;s embarrassing,&#8221; McCarthy responded. &#8220;And you&#8217;ve got to understand why we are here. Eight Republicans, led by Gaetz, have created this chaos by joining every single Democrat in voting to shut down one branch of government.&#8221;
McCarthy said he would do the same thing again by keeping the government open because of all the world events going on right now.
&#8220;Could you imagine if we were having this discussion right now with the American government shut down, with our troops in the Middle East wondering when they&#8217;ll ever get paid again?&#8221; he said. &#8220;Keeping the government open was the right decision to make. And I&#8217;d make it again, each and every day.&#8221;
&#8220;Unfortunately, the chaos has continued,&#8221; McCarthy continued while speaking about the conference&#8217;s inability to pick a new speaker. &#8220;We need to solve this problem. We&#8217;ve got a wide-open Southern border. We&#8217;ve got crushing inflation. We&#8217;ve got war in the Middle East. This is not a moment in time to play around with learning on the job. We need someone who understands how to do this job.&#8221;
McCarthy took another shot at Gaetz a few moments later, saying that Gaetz decided to oust McCarthy because he had a personal vendetta against him over a House investigation into him that was started in the last Congress.
WATCH:
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McCarthy Presser Sept 29

Kevin McCarthy: 8 Republicans, Led By Matt Gaetz, Have Caused ‘Embarrassing’ Situation For House GOP

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Republicans</a> will hear from nine candidates in the next forum to help their party decide on a new nominee for speaker, House Republican Conference Chairwoman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elise Stefanik</a> (R-NY) announced on Sunday.
In a <a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1716122991539409393" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> to X shortly after the noon deadline, Stefanik said the candidates included Reps. <a href="https://twitter.com/juliegraceb/status/1715830497115341229" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jack Bergman</a> (MI), <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDonaldsPress/status/1715514421915582593" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Byron Donalds</a> (FL), <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/1715744128166760891" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tom Emmer</a> (MN), <a href="https://twitter.com/repkevinhern/status/1715432076483104838" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Hern</a> (OK), <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMikeJohnson/status/1715753985540239776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (LA), <a href="https://twitter.com/Meuser4Congress/status/1716132521644065132" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dan Meuser</a> (PA), Gary Palmer (AL), <a href="https://twitter.com/AustinScottGA08/status/1715441064096436424" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Austin Scott</a> (GA), and <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteSessions/status/1715796729637798025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pete Sessions</a> (TX).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today at noon was the deadline for announced candidates for Speaker. 
Official Announced Candidates to the House Republican Conference include:
Jack Bergman (MI) Byron Donalds (FL) Tom Emmer (MN) Kevin Hern (OK) Mike Johnson (LA) Dan Meuser (PA) Gary Palmer (AL) Austin Scott…
&mdash; Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1716122991539409393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The forum is set to take place Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET, following an initial closed-door forum the GOP held after the House voted to remove <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rep. Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) as speaker earlier this month. That earlier <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-to-expect-with-the-gops-house-speaker-forum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forum</a> featured a face-off between House Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/steve-scalise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Scalise</a> (R-LA) and Judiciary Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH), who had the backing of former President Donald Trump.
Scalise won the nomination but <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scalise-drops-out-of-speaker-race">ended his candidacy</a> before a House floor vote could happen as he faced opposition from a small group of Republicans. Jordan then won the nomination in a second ballot, prevailing over a challenge by Scott. However, the GOP conference <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-gop-drops-jordan-as-speaker-nominee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elected to drop</a> Jordan as its nominee after he failed to win speakership across three House floor votes last week.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-ditch-plan-to-empower-mchenry-prepare-for-third-speaker-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry</a> (R-NC) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1715442903353278580" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> House Republicans would hold their next internal election on Tuesday at 9 a.m. House floor votes on the speakership could happen as early as later that day. A simple majority is needed for victory.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) said House Republicans will return Monday at 6:30pm for a candidate forum and will hold an election on Tuesday morning at 9am. “The space and time for a reset is an important thing for House republicans.” <a href="https://t.co/3PboLO4v5b">pic.twitter.com/3PboLO4v5b</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1715442903353278580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Democrats nominated Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hakeem-jeffries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hakeem Jeffries</a> (D-NY) for speaker and voted in unison for him in all the speakership votes this month. Meanwhile, Republicans have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-ditch-plan-to-empower-mchenry-prepare-for-third-speaker-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> a plan to give McHenry broader authority to get legislative business done until a full-time speaker is chosen.
Most Republican candidates mentioned in Stefanik&#8217;s list on Sunday had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/multiple-republicans-throw-hat-in-the-ring-for-speaker-after-failed-jordan-bid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> their intention to run for speaker or said they were strongly considering it. Palmer, however, <a href="https://twitter.com/lindsemcpherson/status/1716127795112226957" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seemed</a> to be a <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1716122870181396844">surprise entry</a>. Another member who had been talked about as a potential contender who did not enter the contest was House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX).
Emmer is the majority whip, <a href="https://www.house.gov/leadership" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tasked</a> with rallying votes for the party&#8217;s legislative priorities. He has the support of McCarthy, who <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4269413-mccarthy-backs-emmer-for-speaker-he-knows-how-to-do-the-job/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Emmer &#8220;knows how to do the job.&#8221; Palmer is another top party member, <a href="https://www.house.gov/leadership" target="_blank" rel="noopener">serving</a> as Republican Policy Committee chairman.

Rep. Tom Emmer

9 Candidates Set To Face Off In GOP’s House Speaker Forum

9 Candidates Set To Face Off In GOP's House Speaker Forum

Byron Donalds

Elise Stefanik

The third time was not the charm for Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) as he lost another <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> floor vote for speaker on Friday with the least amount of support he&#8217;s received so far.
A total of 194 lawmakers voted for Jordan, short of the <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023525?Page=2">215</a> votes needed to win the majority. Jordan received 200 votes and then 199 votes in the first two ballots this week, but a handful of lawmakers missed the third vote, lowering the threshold for victory. Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hakeem-jeffries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hakeem Jeffries</a> (D-NY), who is the nominee for the Democrats, got 210 votes on Friday after getting 212 votes in the first two ballots.
During a press conference on Friday morning, Jordan indicated he would stay in the race for the long haul. &#8220;Our plan this weekend is to get a speaker elected to the House of Representatives as soon as possible so we can help the American people,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1715349081751466058" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
A third ballot took place after a bid to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-moves-toward-empowering-mchenry-as-temporary-speaker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">temporarily empower</a> Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1715083978040832065" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed to gain traction</a> and then a meeting between Jordan and some GOP holdouts ended with members <a href="https://twitter.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/1715123097991307356">saying</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanobles/status/1715123925821038809">they</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1715123897782141270">would not budge</a>.
The GOP-led House voted 17 days ago to remove <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rep. Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) as speaker, with eight Republicans joining Democrats in opposing him. In the days that followed, House Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/steve-scalise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Scalise</a> (R-LA) beat out Jordan to become the GOP&#8217;s next nominee for speaker. But Scalise dropped out when he could not muster enough support to be elected speaker within the Republican conference. Jordan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-jordan-wins-gop-speaker-nomination-in-new-round-of-voting?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwnewstwitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won the GOP nomination</a> for speaker after Scalise bowed out.
Jordan, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, had received an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-endorses-jim-jordan-for-speaker-of-the-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsement</a> from former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner in the 2024 presidential contest. In all three ballots, Jordan received votes from the majority of the GOP conference, including McCarthy and Scalise.
Some of Jordan&#8217;s supporters have <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMarkGreen/status/1714341661667467492" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pledged</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/AndyOgles/status/1714448154018406480" target="_blank" rel="noopener">back him</a> for as many as 100 rounds or as long as it took for him to win. It took McCarthy 15 rounds of voting in January to win the speakership.
McCarthy delivered the nominating speech on the floor for Jordan on Friday, describing the Ohio Republican as an effective legislator and one of the most &#8220;selfless&#8221; members he&#8217;s ever met.
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However, Jordan could not overcome opposition from 25 Republicans, with three more joining the group this time around: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Tom Kean (R-NJ), and Marcus Molinaro (R-NY). Some defectors have raised <a href="https://twitter.com/sahilkapur/status/1714346635101082006">political gripes</a> or shared <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaLota/status/1714372733193134466">concerns</a> about the priorities of their home districts not being met. A few members said they received <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-republican-says-he-received-death-threats-amid-speaker-race">death threats</a> after opposing Jordan&#8217;s candidacy. Jordan issued a statement condemning threats against his colleagues.
The holdouts in the third ballot included: House Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) and Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Ken Buck (R-CO), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), Anthony D&#8217;Esposito (R-NY), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Drew Ferguson (R-GA), Fitzpatrick, Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), Tony Gonzales (R-TX), John James (R-MI), Kean, Mike Kelly (R-PA), Jenn Kiggans (R-VA), Nick LaLota (R-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Molinaro, John Rutherford (R-FL), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Pete Stauber (R-MN), and Steve Womack (R-AR).
Jordan managed to keep the support of Reps. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN), who opposed his bid in the first round but flipped in favor of Jordan in the second ballot.
The people besides Jordan and Jeffries who received votes for speaker in the third ballot included: Scalise, McCarthy, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-18/rivals-for-us-house-speaker-wait-in-the-wings-as-jim-jordan-s-bid-unravels">Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN)</a>, House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA), and former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY).
The U.S. Constitution does not explicitly state that a speaker has to be a sitting member of the House.
If Jordan drops out, other Republicans may announce candidacies for speaker. Members who are reportedly being talked about include Emmer, Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX), <a href="https://twitter.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/1715015940226605189">Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA)</a>, Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), and <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/10/18/jack-bergman-us-house-speaker-congress/71231650007/">Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI)</a>.

Rep. Jim Jordan

Jim Jordan Bleeds More Support In Third Speaker Ballot Defeat

Jordan Bleeds More Support In Third Speaker Ballot Defeat

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> Republicans have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-moves-toward-empowering-mchenry-as-temporary-speaker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected a plan</a> to give temporarily broader powers to interim Speaker Patrick McHenry (R-NC).
Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH), the GOP nominee, came out of a GOP conference meeting on Thursday and announced that he expected the House to move to another speaker ballot.
&#8220;We made the pitch to members on the resolution as a way to lower the temperature and get back to work. We decided that wasn&#8217;t where we&#8217;re going to go,&#8221; Jordan <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1715083978040832065">told</a> reporters.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): &quot;I&#39;m still running for speaker, and I plan to go to the floor and get the votes and win this race, but I want to go talk with a few of my colleagues&#8230;&quot; <a href="https://t.co/wetOfDwWUZ">pic.twitter.com/wetOfDwWUZ</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1715083978040832065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I&#8217;m still running for speaker, and I plan to go to the floor and get the votes and win this race, but I want to go talk with a few of my colleagues,&#8221; he added.
Jordan said he specifically wanted to have conversations with the 20 or so GOP members who have opposed his candidacy. The Ohio Republican has lost two ballots this week so far, failing to secure 217 votes or a simple majority. At least one holdout, Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), <a href="https://twitter.com/MicaSoellnerDC/status/1715069162534396342">reportedly</a> said he told Jordan he will not &#8220;ever&#8221; vote for him.
McHenry has been serving <a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-powers-mchenry-875bebd218096a5252840cd8f52cc137#tbl-em-lnrqqihtbbq5d9n8lt">as speaker pro tempore</a> for a little over two weeks after the House took the unprecedented step of voting Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) out as speaker.
There has been doubt about whether an acting speaker can do more than preside over <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/05/acting-house-speaker-powers/">debate and vote for a full-time speaker</a> without a vote on a resolution to empower him.
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Some Republicans raised concerns about the proposal being <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLuna/status/1715086789218550270">problematic</a> and warned it would require a bipartisan vote with concessions to the Democrats to pass.
&#8220;The people across #NY21 and America can rest assured that I strongly oppose any attempt to create a Democrat backed coalition government,&#8221; House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) <a href="https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik/status/1715078877372977190">said</a> in a post to X. &#8220;I will vote to support Jim Jordan for Speaker on the House Floor. We must work to unify Republicans as the last line of defense to save America.&#8221;
Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1715075338005307504">reportedly said</a> he will <a href="https://twitter.com/emilybrooksnews/status/1715078913108377908">tweak</a> the resolution to give McHenry temporary expanded powers in an attempt to get more support within the GOP conference.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the nominee for the Democrats, has so far signaled that his first objective is to <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1714709593601831154">“stop”</a> Jordan and second goal is to reopen the House.

Patrick McHenry

House Republicans Ditch Plan To Empower McHenry, Prepare For Third Speaker Vote

A second <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives">House</a> Republican who did not support Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) for speaker in the second ballot on Wednesday said he is facing death threats.
Like Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), who previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawmaker-reports-death-threats-after-flipping-speaker-vote">announced</a> that she was receiving death threats over the speaker&#8217;s race, Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-GA) voted for Jordan in the first ballot on Tuesday and then voted for Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) in the second.
&#8220;As the Republican Conference designee, I supported Congressman Jordan on the first ballot,&#8221; Ferguson said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDrewFerguson/status/1715028720782582089">statement</a>. &#8220;Following the first vote, I had genuine concerns about the threatening tactics and pressure campaigns Jordan and his allies were using to leverage members for their votes.&#8221;
Ferguson said he discussed the issue &#8220;directly&#8221; with Jordan and planned to support the Ohio Republican on the second ballot, but he opted to back Scalise when the coercion did not cease.
&#8220;When the pressure campaigns and attacks on fellow members ramped up, it became clear to me that the House Republican Conference does not need a bully as speaker,&#8221; Ferguson said. &#8220;I cast my vote for Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a principled conservative and unifying leader. Shortly after casting that vote, my family and I started receiving death-threats. That is simply unacceptable, unforgivable, and will never be tolerated.&#8221;
Miller-Meeks announced on Wednesday that she was receiving death threats following her vote for House Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) on the second ballot. Another GOP lawmaker who has opposed Jordan&#8217;s bid, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), said his wife <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4263812-bacons-wife-anonymous-texts-calls-speaker-vote/">received</a> anonymous calls and text messages about the speaker vote.
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Jordan, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, <a href="https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan/status/1714779942523699416">released</a> a statement on X condemning threats against fellow members of the House. &#8220;No American should accost another for their beliefs,&#8221; Jordan said. &#8220;We condemn all threats against our colleagues and it is imperative that we come together. Stop. It’s abhorrent.&#8221;
So far, no one has been able to win the requisite majority to secure the speakership.
After <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-jordan-loses-ground-in-second-house-speaker-vote-loss">two defeats</a> in which at least 20 Republicans opposed his bid, Jordan reportedly indicated that he supports a vote to give Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) temporary expanded powers to get legislative business done while the chamber works to find a viable candidate.

Rep. Drew Ferguson

Another Republican Says He Received Death Threats Amid Speaker Race

The GOP-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives">House</a> is poised to vote on giving broader powers to temporary Speaker Patrick McHenry (R-NC) as Republicans struggle to elect a candidate to take the gavel full-time.
A decision to go this route emerged as a GOP conference meeting got underway on Thursday morning, according to multiple reports. It was not immediately clear when a vote would take place. Neither were specific details about a resolution that the House would consider.
McHenry has been serving <a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-powers-mchenry-875bebd218096a5252840cd8f52cc137#tbl-em-lnrqqihtbbq5d9n8lt">as speaker pro tempore</a> for a little over two weeks after the House took the unprecedented step of voting Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) out as speaker. Since then, there has been doubt about whether an acting speaker can do more than preside over <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/05/acting-house-speaker-powers/">debate and vote for a full-time speaker</a>.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the GOP nominee, lost House floor votes on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-jordan-loses-first-house-speaker-vote">Tuesday</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-jordan-loses-ground-in-second-house-speaker-vote-loss">Wednesday</a> with at least 20 Republican defectors voting for other people in the party in each ballot. Jordan remains in the race.
After a meeting with party leaders on Thursday, Jordan decided to support McHenry as interim speaker until January, <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1715021061463367762">according to PunchBowl News</a>. This would give Jordan time to attempt to solidify support for his candidacy.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) got more votes than Jordan in both ballots but also failed to get a chamber-wide majority to win the gavel. He has <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries/status/1714624006559518838">pushed for</a> a “bipartisan path forward&#8221; but has yet to comment directly on a bid to empower McHenry.
Some Republicans have voiced support for temporarily expanding McHenry&#8217;s power while others are opposed to the idea.
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeKellyPA/status/1714766182262120830">said</a> such a move is &#8220;about continuing the work of the American people while we select a new speaker.&#8221; He is one of the Republicans who resisted Jordan&#8217;s candidacy in both ballots this week and, along with Rep. David Joyce (R-OH), has been floating a resolution to empower McHenry.
&#8220;There is no path for a GOP-only empowerment of a Speaker Pro-Tem so it will necessarily require Democrat votes,&#8221; Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/chiproytx/status/1715015738560270345">said</a> in a post to X.
&#8220;It is, in any event, a fool’s errand &#8211; breaking with tradition &amp; setting constitutionally questionable precedent to empower someone &#8230; who is NOT the duly elected Speaker but will be empowered to negotiate a [continuing resolution] &amp; massive supplemental bills (approx. $100BB) for Israel &amp; Ukraine (&amp; $ to process more illegals),&#8221; he added. &#8220;It will then set the [House Republicans] up for a Xmas omni &#8216;deal.&#8217; I strongly oppose.&#8221;
Ahead of gaveling the House into session at noon, McHenry <a href="https://twitter.com/haleytalbotcnn/status/1715025284116713692">told</a> reporters that his &#8220;goal is to get Jim Jordan elected speaker as our speaker nominee.&#8221;

House Moves Toward Empowering McHenry As Temporary Speaker

Hakeem Jeffries

The race for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives">House</a> Speaker is a wide open question more than two weeks after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rep. Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) was booted from the role.
Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, came up a handful of votes short of winning the requisite simple majority in the first ballot on Tuesday and then lost a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-jordan-loses-ground-in-second-house-speaker-vote-loss">little ground</a> in a second vote on Wednesday.
The next vote is not <a href="https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1714751145850139036">expected</a> to happen until at least <a href="https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1714751145850139036">midday on Thursday</a>. One of the Republicans who opposes his bid, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), <a href="https://twitter.com/i/bookmarks/all">told CNN</a> that Jordan would lose a &#8220;bigger chunk&#8221; in a third ballot.
So far, Jordan has indicated that he plans to remain in the contest. Some of Jordan&#8217;s supporters have <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMarkGreen/status/1714341661667467492" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pledged</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/AndyOgles/status/1714448154018406480" target="_blank" rel="noopener">back him</a> for as many as 100 rounds or as long as it takes for him to win.
Democrats are united behind their nominee, Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hakeem-jeffries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hakeem Jeffries</a> (D-NY), giving him 212 votes in each ballot. Jordan received 200 votes in the first round and 199 in the second one.
Even as Jordan flipped a couple of the initial 20 holdouts for the vote on Wednesday, he lost a few of Republicans who voted for him on Tuesday. The GOP defectors have voted for other people in the GOP and have pushed for a <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRutherfordFL/status/1714766446415216873">&#8220;consensus candidate&#8221;</a> that members of the party can rally around.
There has been a sense of urgency to pick a new speaker this month as a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/government-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government shutdown</a> is possible by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-passes-bill-to-keep-u-s-government-open-through-mid-november" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mid-November</a> without a spending deal and members <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-jordan-says-first-move-as-speaker-would-be-to-help-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">want to respond</a> to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Some have floated Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), who is serving <a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-powers-mchenry-875bebd218096a5252840cd8f52cc137#tbl-em-lnrqqihtbbq5d9n8lt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as speaker pro tempore</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLCD/status/1714327863694959013" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expanded authority</a> to get legislative business done in the short term. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), one of the GOP holdouts, <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeKellyPA/status/1714766182262120830">said</a> he has a resolution that is &#8220;about continuing the work of the American people while we select a new speaker.&#8221;
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Former House Speakers Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and John Boehner (R-OH) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerBoehner/status/1714440130562281829" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voiced support</a> for this idea. And there is <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanobles/status/1714695889653035416">reportedly support</a> among the Democrats, though Jeffries has so far signaled that his first objective is to <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1714709593601831154">&#8220;stop&#8221;</a> Jordan and second goal is to reopen the House.
Others have vociferously opposed the idea, particularly among Jordan&#8217;s supporters.
&#8220;A vote to further empower a temporary Speaker is a vote to keep you broke and Washington broken. I told you &#8211; no matter what &#8211; I won’t vote for the status quo, and I’m keeping my word,&#8221; Rep. Scott Petty (R-PA) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepScottPerry/status/1714724822956057046">said in a post to X</a>.
&#8220;Understand. The proposal to empower the Speaker pro tem is not significantly different than electing Speaker Hakeem Jeffries. It is coalition govt between the Dems and the R big spenders,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDanBishop/status/1714708493238677567">added</a> Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC). &#8220;The Washington swamp strikes back. Don’t let it win.&#8221;
After the second ballot on Wednesday, McHenry <a href="https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/1714766190353006912">told</a> reporters that Jordan is &#8220;working with the conference to get his votes.&#8221; McHenry added that he plans to give Jordan &#8220;as long as he needs&#8221; to try and muster sufficient numbers.

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