US lawmakers rejected hard-line conservative Jim Jordan's bid for speaker of the House of Representatives for a second time on Wednesday, as the leadership vacuum paralyzed Washington for a 15th day with no clear resolution in sight.
The lower chamber of Congress has been in a tailspin since Republican speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by his party's far right on October 3 -- leaving it unable to address a looming government shutdown or war in the Middle East.
But Jordan's centrist colleagues, already wary of his hard-right politics, voiced irritation over a concerted effort to whip extra votes for the 59-year-old former wrestling champion. Jordan's second defeat compounded the angst over Republican disarray, prompting a growing group of lawmakers -- including Valadao -- to push for the limited powers of the current, largely ceremonial caretaker speaker to be expanded.
More from this section Things you probably don't need to pay for in your home Breakfast with Eamonn and Isabel - Tuesday 17th October 2023 Partial Gag Order Issued in Trump Election Interference Case The powerful Judiciary Committee chairman will be expected to show significant improvement in the third round of voting, yet the holdouts appear to be dug in.
Party strategists worry that Jordan going backwards could herald days of further deadlock, as there is no obvious alternative with the support and the profile to corral a party that has become synonymous with division and dysfunction. Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did not publicly commit to backing the move as he headed to a party meeting after voting, although he has not ruled it out.
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