Push to make McHenry temporary Speaker draws fierce GOP resistance

by Amee LaTour - 10/19/23 4:43 PM ET

Evening Report

Turbulent Speaker push hits new wall

Several Republicans came out strongly against a push to temporarily give Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) more power and put the House back in operation on the chamber’s 16th day without a Speaker.

Calls to give McHenry more authority grew louder after Speaker-designate Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) fell 18 votes short of the threshold needed to become Speaker on the second vote on Wednesday.

But after Jordan said he’d support a resolution to give McHenry more authority, several Republicans including Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (Pa.) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (Fla.) rejected the move and called on the conference to support Jordan.

“We made the pitch to members on the resolution as a way to lower the temperature and get back to work. … We decided that wasn’t where we’re going to go,” Jordan said, indicating he would keep running for Speaker.

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