Rep. Jim Jordan stated that he was “concerned” about Dems and moderate Republicans potentially reaching an agreement to elect an establishment GOP Speaker of the House if Representative Kevin McCarthy doesn’t win the gavel on Jan. 3.
“I’m quite worried about that. I don’t believe that’s plausible, but it worries me,” Jordan told presenter Matthew Boyle.
Several Republicans, including Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL), have stated that they will vote against McCarthy for speaker. Republicans are projected to hold a slim 222-213 majority. McCarthy would need at least 218 votes to win the speakership if every eligible congressman is present and votes. If just five Republicans don’t cast their vote for him and there are no Democrats that make up the difference, McCarthy will be unable to win re-election, producing what some GOP members are calling a “doomsday scenario.”
Conservatives are concerned that Democrats will step up to put their support behind an establishment GOP alternative to Kevin McCarthy, who would accept rule changes that would weaken subpoenas that come from the new House Republican majority into President Biden’s administration in exchange for Democrat votes on the House floor to win the speakership.
The potentially devastating conclusion for Republicans threatens to derail probes planned for the next Congress, including one into the Biden family. Rep. James Comer recently announced plans for the investigations into the Biden family business in a news conference.
Jordan told Boyle that McCarthy is far more receptive of such investigations than past Republican Congressional leaders would have been.
“Leader McCarthy has been extremely supportive of our attempts to get to the… facts, truth, and provide that to the American people,” said Jordan. “Recall that a week or two ago, my dear colleague and friend, Jamie Comer, who is poised to chair the Oversight Committee, held a news conference discussing the Biden family crime business operation and all of the problems there. You know, if Comer does that news conference under prior leadership, they’ll come out and say, ‘Oh, well, you know,’ and distance themselves from it.”
Leader McCarthy, though, publicly said that he appreciated what the guys were doing. “We have to tell the American people the truth,” Jordan concluded. “He tweeted about it on the same… day I believe Mr. Comer had the news conference, so I think he is dedicated because he recognizes this is very important for our country, and it is part of our obligation to provide information to the American citizens. So let’s hope there’s never a deal in which the Democrats are involved because they will be “seeking to block investigations that we are constitutional obligated to do.”
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