In the first round of votes for a new Speaker of the House on Tuesday, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) received 200 votes from Republican colleagues, falling short of the needed 217 to become speaker. Twenty of his fellow Republicans voted against him, whose support went to Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA) or Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). No Democrat lawmaker voted for Jordan. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said, “Jim Jordan is the poster child for MAGA extremism. He is a clear and present danger for democracy.” The next vote will be held Wednesday morning at 11 am. Centrist Democrat Rep. Ann Kuster (D-NH), chair of the New Democrat Coalition, has called for Republicans to work with Democrats to forge a bipartisan solution as Jordan struggles to become speaker. She added, House Republicans have “proven repeatedly now they can’t find who can get 217 out of the 221.”
