US House Fails to Elect Speaker in Second Vote...Republican Rebellion Votes Increase Further

The U.S. House of Representatives failed to elect a Speaker in the second round of voting due to divisions within the majority Republican Party. Jim Jordan, the Republican candidate and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, not only fell short of a majority but also received fewer votes than in the first round. Concerns are mounting that the unprecedented vacancy caused by the removal of the Speaker in U.S. congressional history could be prolonged.

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On the 18th (local time), the House held a plenary session and conducted the second vote to elect the Speaker. As a result, Republican candidate Jordan received 199 votes, and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries received 212 votes, failing once again to secure the majority of 217 votes needed to be elected Speaker.

Unlike Jeffries, who received the support of all Democratic members, Jordan faced 22 rebel votes, an increase from 20 in the first round. Since the Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House (221 seats) compared to the Democrats (212 seats), the defection votes must be minimized to within four for Jordan to win the Speakership.

Steve Scalise, the House Republican Whip who did not run as a candidate, received 7 votes, and former Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy received 5 votes. Other candidates received a total of 10 votes. Republican Representative Mike Lawler reaffirmed his opposition, stating, "We will see more defections in the third vote." Representative Carlos Jimenez also said he would continue to vote for former Speaker McCarthy and that no pressure on Jordan would affect him.

The House immediately recessed. After the second vote, Jordan stated, "I want to continue talking with my colleagues," making it clear that he would not withdraw his candidacy and would continue efforts to persuade others. He emphasized that when former Speaker McCarthy was elected earlier this year, voting went up to the 15th round. However, McCarthy's vote count never fell below 200 in any round. The timing of the third vote remains uncertain.

Jordan, considered a close ally of former President Donald Trump, is one of the founders of the Freedom Caucus, a hardline conservative group within the Republican Party. He advocates for conservative hardline policies, including large-scale spending cuts. Although he was selected as the Republican candidate for Speaker with Trump's support, he is evaluated as having failed to attract moderate votes.

[Image source=Getty Images Yonhap News]

As a result, the vacancy in the Speakership following former Speaker McCarthy's removal shows signs of becoming prolonged. This delay inevitably affects negotiations on the 2024 fiscal year budget, which raises concerns about a government shutdown, as well as emergency aid budgets for Israel, which was attacked by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and additional support for Ukraine. On the same day, U.S. President Joe Biden, who visited Israel, pledged $100 million in humanitarian aid to the West Bank and Gaza Strip and announced plans to request an unprecedented support package from Congress for Israel's defense.

As hardline right-wing candidate Jordan struggles to gain sufficient support to be elected Speaker, discussions are emerging within the party about granting authority to interim Speaker Representative Patrick McHenry. The New York Times (NYT) pointed out, "The anti-Jordan faction is sending a very strong signal that it will not waver," adding, "With the House Republican division prolonging the Speaker vacancy, wars in the Middle East and Ukraine are intensifying, and the shutdown deadline is approaching." Earlier, former Speaker McCarthy was removed from office for the first time in U.S. history after a resolution to remove him, introduced following the passage of a temporary budget bill to prevent a federal government shutdown for the 2024 fiscal year, passed the House on the 3rd.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.