House Republicans are pushing back against an outside pressure campaign by conservative media and supporters of Rep. Jim Jordan's speaker bid, which has included anonymous and vaguely threatening text messages, cussing out of staffers, and robocalls to voters. Rep. Bacon and his wife have received death threats, and Rep. Womack and Rep. Gimenez have spoken out against the campaign. Jordan has failed twice to get the votes needed to become speaker, and the pressure appears to be backfiring.
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House Republicans have failed to elect a permanent speaker for the second time, with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) falling short of the 217 votes needed to win the gavel. Some Republicans are now looking to expand the powers of Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) in order to break the deadlock, but it remains unclear if this will be enough to elect a new speaker. The House has been leaderless since former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) stepped down in October, and it is unclear how long it will take for the chamber to elect a new speaker.
The House of Representatives is voting for the next Speaker after Kevin McCarthy failed to win more than 218 votes on three ballots. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio has failed to garner the necessary support to become the next Speaker of the House, losing 20 Republicans on the first ballot and requiring a third ballot if those who voted against him do not change their minds. Jordan has flipped one of his holdouts, but it is unclear if he will be able to win the necessary support to become the next Speaker.
Former Congressman Denver Riggleman expressed his exasperation at the possibility of Representative Jim Jordan replacing Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker, citing the opposition of both Republicans and Democrats due to Jordan's loyalty to Trump and his support for overturning the 2020 election results. Jordan's election to the role would have a significant impact on the future of the House, and the outcome of the election will be closely watched in the coming weeks.
Ryan Kelley, a former Republican front-runner in the 2022 Michigan governor's race, was sentenced to 60 days in prison for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. His sentencing comes after news of fraudulent signatures from other candidates, and he pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor of entering and remaining on restricted grounds. His sentence serves as a reminder of the consequences of participating in the attack, and the importance of ensuring qualified candidates for public office.
Republican presidential candidates have come out against the U.S. welcoming Palestinian refugees, claiming their culture is incompatible with American values and that they could be terrorists. However, the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service has not called for raising the number of Palestinians admitted to the U.S., and they remain committed to providing support to refugees entering the U.S., regardless of their nationality or religion. Palestinians may be coming from other parts of the world while they retain their Palestinian citizenship, or they may have been referred as refugees to the U.N. refugee agency by nongovernmental organizations.
The House of Representatives held a roll call vote to elect a new speaker, with Democrat Hakeem Jeffries receiving 212 votes and Republican Jim Jordan receiving 200. Twenty Republicans voted for someone other than Jordan, indicating deep divisions within the party. The House will now move to a second ballot, where the Republican Party will have to decide whether to rally around Jordan or to back one of the other candidates. It is unclear whether Jordan will be able to secure the majority of votes needed to win the speaker position.
Donald Trump has called for an expansion of his travel ban on immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, as well as instituting a “strong ideological screening” for all immigrants. The White House has responded to Trump’s call with criticism, noting that it is “revolting and dangerous” and undermines American values. The Supreme Court upheld the ban in 2018, but the Biden administration has been increasingly willing to engage with Trump in recent weeks.