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PoliticsUnited States of America

US House: Republicans nominate Jim Jordan to be speaker

October 13, 2023

Jordan, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, will have to win a majority of full House support to secure the gavel.

https://p.dw.com/p/4XWca
Jim Jordan speaks to reporters as House Republicans hold a caucus meeting at the Longworth House Office Building in Washington,
Jordan, is a founding member of the Freedom CaucusImage: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Republicans on Friday picked Jim Jordan as their nominee to be the next speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

It comes after Steve Scalise, who Republicans picked before, dropped out of the race on Thursday after he failed to garner enough support to win the election.

The lower chamber of Congress has been paralyzed for 10 days since Kevin McCarthy was removed from power in a historic vote.

Jordan a Republican hardliner

Jordan, the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Committee, saw off a challenge from Georgia congressman Austin Scott to win a secret ballot of House Republicans for the nomination, said conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik.

Jordon of Ohio has publicly sparred with Democrats over their investigations into then-President Donald Trump, who endorsed Jordan's bid for re-election last week.

The House Judiciary Committee is one of three panels at the center of the impeachment inquiry into Democratic President Joe Biden.

Jordan needs to secure a majority vote on the House floor, but it's uncertain whether he can unify his fellow Republicans.

His party hold a slim 221-212 majority, allowing for only four possible defections if Democrats vote against him, as they are expected to do.

"House Republicans have selected as their nominee to be the speaker of the people's House the chairman of the chaos caucus, a defender in a dangerous way of dysfunction and an extremist extraordinaire," House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.

lo/zc (AP, AFP, Reuters)