Who Is Jim Jordan?

My VIP for this week is Jim Jordan, the Republican nominee for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representative. Jordan (R-Ohio) is currently the House Judiciary Chairman, but he threw his hat into the ring for Speaker when Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted and again when Representative Steve Scalise declined running. 

Jordan had more support than Scalise, but he was still short many positive votes. One of his greatest opposers was Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Alabama). Last Friday, Rogers said that there was nothing that Jordan could do to win his vote, but he now has agreed to vote for Jordan after the two discussed the situation twice.

“We agreed on the need for Congress to pass a strong [National Defense Authorization Act], appropriations to fund our government’s vital functions and other important legislation like the Farm Bill,” Rogers wrote. “As a result, I have decided to support Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House on the floor.”

Jordan still needs 217 members to vote for him, and the Republicans hold only a slim majority. However, both McCarthy and Scalese are supporting Jordan. Maybe, just maybe, the supporters of McCarthy, Scalese, and Rogers will also support Jordan. We know that Rep. Ken Calvert (R-California) announced that Jordan would have his vote on the floor.

This battle for Speaker of the House is a battle between the entrenched elites and the newer conservative members of the House. However, former Representative Liz Cheney has declared that electing Jordan as Speaker would cause Republicans to lose the House in 2024. The fact that Cheney is against Jordan tells me that he is an excellent choice for the leadership position.