With mounting resistance in the chamber, Jim Jordan’s aspiration for the US House of Representatives Speaker position has been thwarted for the second time.
Yet again, the conservative representative from Ohio missed the mark with 217 votes, facing resistance from 22 of his fellow Republicans – two more than the previous voting session on Tuesday.
The team of Mr. Jordan announced plans for a third vote on Thursday, as deliberations within the House centre on granting acting Speaker Patrick McHenry expanded authority for a time span of 30 to 90 days.
While members from both parties have suggested the notion, its feasibility as a contingency plan hinges on whether there is enough support for it among the Republicans.
It has been 15 days since a right-wing faction instigated an extraordinary coup leading to the ousting of Kevin McCarthy.
With no Speaker in place, the lower chamber of Congress is at a standstill in terms of passing bills or approving emergency aid requests from the White House, which includes potential assistance for Israel in its conflict with Hamas.
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Up to this point, Democrats have not extended any assistance in what they term as “a Republican problem,” consistently voting in unison for their leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
Allies of Jordan undertook rigorous lobbying over the weekend, working discreetly to convince hesitant members to endorse his bid, yet the overnight push showed limited success.
In the first roll call on Tuesday, the Trump-supported House Judiciary Committee chairman garnered 200 votes, followed by 199 votes on Wednesday.
Mr. Jordan, in a chamber where his party narrowly controls with a 221-212 majority, had to be cautious not to lose more than four Republican votes.
Tom Cole, an Oklahoma Republican, nominated Mr. Jordan, earning cheers from colleagues, who hailed him as an “honorable man” with unyielding determination, offering a path out of the House’s “chaos and uncertainty.”
A hush fell over the chamber as Mr. Jordan’s fate was determined, with less than half of the second vote completed.