Members of the House of Representatives will return to work Monday with the chamber still seeking a speaker.
Rep Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, won the House Republican conference nomination for speaker on Friday. However, he remained short of the 217 votes needed to secure the gavel.
A staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, Jordan was aiming to hold a Tuesday floor vote on his nomination, Fox Digital reported.
Reuters reported that Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., the No. 2 Democrat in the House, said Sunday that the House will vote to choose a new speaker on Tuesday at approximately 12 p.m. ET.
Jordan told Politico he believed he will get the needed votes required to secure the speakership.
"We think we’re going to get 217," Jordan told Politico.
Some of his colleagues weren't so sure.
"I think he's gonna have a serious problem getting the numbers," said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., who voted against Jordan on Friday and has signaled it's unlikely he'll support him on the floor, Politico reported.
Republican Reps. Mike Rogers of Alabama and John Rutherford and Carlos Gimenez of Florida also indicated they rwould vote no on Jordan.
Some of Jordan's supporters, though, suggested the nominee's opponents would shrink under the spotlight of a public vote. Friday's conference vote was based on secret ballots.
The House has been without a speaker since Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was removed from the position Oct. 3. Eight Republican hardliners voted with Democrats to oust McCarthy.
Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., on Thursday ended his bid to become House speaker after failing to secure the votes to win the gavel. Scalise, Republican whip and majority leader, on Wednesday had been the conference's choice over Jordan by a 113-99 vote total.
Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., is serving as speaker pro tempore in the interim.
Pressure is mounting on Republicans to resolve their internal fighting. The White House is poised to ask Congress for an emergency national security aid package that could fund Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel, and U.S. border security through next year's presidential election, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Sunday that talks surrounding a possible bipartisan solution to the speakership situation were underway.
"There are informal conversations that have been underway," Jeffries said on NBC’s "Meet the Press." "When we get back to Washington tomorrow, it's important to begin to formalize those discussions."
Republicans hold a 221-112 advantage in the House.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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