Ahead of a vote Tuesday, Illinois’ three Congressional Republicans have all announced that they plan to support Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan’s efforts to become Speaker of the House.
Reps. Mike Bost, Mary Miller and Darin LaHood have all released statements backing Jordan’s candidacy, with uncertainty remaining over whether he will have enough Republican votes to ascend to the position.
All three members of the House voted against removing former Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his post earlier this month, with eight Republicans in all voting to depose him in an historic vote.
“I am excited to endorse Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House,” Bost said. “He is a proven conservative who can help unify the Republican conference. I look forward to continuing to work with Jim to Make America Great Again, and to hold the disastrous Biden Administration accountable.”
Miller, who voted to retain McCarthy despite being opposed to his candidacy in Jan. 2023, said she is also backing Jordan’s push to become speaker.
“I am supporting Jim Jordan for speaker because our country needs a strong, decisive leader who can take on Biden in the fight to save our country,” Miller said. “We must secure our border, protect our country and end Biden’s America Last agenda.”
Finally, LaHood announced his stance on Saturday.
Local
“I am proud to support Jim Jordan for speaker, and it’s time for our conference to unite behind him,” LaHood said. “Jim is the leader who can bring our conference together and deliver on the promises of our majority – secure the border, rein in spending and provide needed oversight on the Biden administration.”
A vote is set for tomorrow on Jordan’s bid to become speaker. He has earned the support of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Steve Scalise, who dropped his bid to ascend to the speakership in recent days.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly> Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
With uncertainty remaining as to whether Republicans will coalesce behind Jordan, Democrats in the House are pushing back, citing Jordan’s support of former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 elections as part of their opposition to his candidacy.
“Democracy does not survive unless you fight for it. For a rule of law that applies to all. For truth. For defense of the vulnerable from the powerful,” Rep. Sean Casten said. “None of that is protected by making subpoena-dodging, sexual assault-ignoring, ‘legislative terrorist’ Jim Jordan the speaker.”
Jordan has faced criticism from his House colleagues after defying subpoenas from the body’s Jan. 6 Committee, which looked into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Jordan, who was an assistant coach for The Ohio State University’s wrestling team in the 1980’s and 1990’s, has also been criticized for his failure to protect student-athletes during a sexual assault scandal, with four former wrestlers blasting his candidacy for the speakership in an interview with NBC News.
“Do you really want a guy in that job who chose not to stand up for his guys?” said former wrestler Mike Schyck, one of the former athletes and students who say they were sexually abused by school doctor Richard Strauss. “Is that the kind of character trait you want for a House speaker?”
Rep. Brad Schneider is another Democrat opposed to Jordan, instead pushing for a bipartisan coalition behind House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Rep. Robin Kelly called Jordan “unfit to serve,” citing his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and desire to cut Social Security and Medicare spending.
In an historic vote earlier this month, the House of Representative ousted McCarthy from his position.
The vote is the first in American history, leaving Republicans to figure out their next leader in the body as negotiations over funding of the government and a slew of other issues still loom.
House Democrats unanimously voted to oust McCarthy, while eight Republicans, including Rep. Matt Gaetz, voted to boot him.
