U.S. House Republican Jim Jordan of Ohio has picked up several key endorsements heading into a scheduled Tuesday vote for the next speaker of the House.
Mike Rogers, R-Ala., became the center of controversy over the weekend after news broke that he was reportedly considering working with Democrats to elect Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries given the Republican party’s inability to pick a speaker so far.
By Monday morning, Rogers publicly endorsed Jordan.
“[Jordan] and I have had two cordial, thoughtful, and productive conversations over the past two days,” Rogers wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We agreed on the need for Congress to pass a strong NDAA, appropriations to fund our government’s vital functions, and other important legislation like the Farm Bill.
“Since I was first elected to the House, I have always been a team player and supported what the majority of the Republican Conference agrees to,” he added.
Jordan, who sent out a letter to fellow Republicans Monday calling to bring the party together, responded on X, thanking Rogers for the endorsement.
“Thank you, Chairman Rogers,” Jordan wrote. “Your leadership is just what our Conference needs right now. We must all keep coming together and get back to work.”
That move significantly dampens what some Democrats had hoped for, namely the chance to lead the House even without a majority of members. They have blasted Jordan in particular for his questioning of the 2020 election results in the immediate aftermath of that election leading into the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol.
“Jim Jordan’s lack of legislative history and predisposition to burn everything down (i.e. 2013 shutdown, 2018-19 government shutdown, Boehner speakership) makes for a dangerous leader,” Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, wrote on X. “The only path forward is a bipartisan governing coalition.”
Another lawmaker, Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., just last week told reporters that she would “absolutely not” vote for Jordan as Speaker. Wagner at the time backed Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who later withdrew after failing to win enough support.
On Monday, though, she also released a public endorsement backing Jordan.
“Let me be clear, I am not, and will not, work with Democrats as our Republican Conference comes together to elect a conservative Speaker of the House,” Wagner said in a statement Monday, also saying that “we must elect a conservative as the next Speaker” before going on to give Jordan a full endorsement.
“Jim Jordan and I spoke at length again this morning, and he has allayed my concerns about keeping the government open with conservative funding, the need for strong border security, our need for consistent international support in times of war and unrest, as well as the need for stronger protections against the scourge of human trafficking and child exploitation,” Wagner said.
The closer Jordan gets to the needed 217 votes to become speaker, the harder it will be for holdout Republicans to justify why they are not electing a speaker, especially with another government shutdown coming in mid-November as well as calls for funding for the Ukraine and Israel conflicts.
Jordan is reportedly having ongoing meetings with lawmakers who are locking up key endorsements, bringing him closer to the speakership.
“Keeping America safe is my top priority in Congress,” Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, wrote on X Monday. “After having a conversation with Jim Jordan about how we must get the House back on a path to achieve our national security and appropriations goals, I will be supporting him for Speaker on the floor. Let’s get to work.”
