Update: Even Plan B in the House of Representatives Is Falling Apart

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | October 19, 2023 |

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | October 19, 2023 |

Earlier today, after Jim Jordan decided against seeking a third ballot in the vote for Speaker of the House, it looked like the House’s Plan B would eventually come together, with Republicans voting to empower the interim speaker, Patrick McHenry, to get some of the House’s necessary business done.

It did not come together. In fact, if it does come together, it’s going to require some votes from Democrats because there’s a significant bloc of Republicans who do not support the plan, which Jim Jordan himself endorsed. Jordan plans to remain the Speaker-designee during the interim).

A number of moderates don’t like the plan because they think Jim Jordan should step aside as Speaker designee, and a number of members of the Freedom Caucus do not like it because they want Jim Jordan to be the Speaker and also because they love chaos. Still, others believe that Republicans should do the hard work of electing a Speaker. Among those who are opposed to the escape hatch are Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz.

Interestingly and hilariously, Jordan’s decision to endorse the plan has pissed off his hardline supporters, which means he’s alienated both the moderates and the right-wingers. Good job, Jim!

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After two House votes — the second more humiliating than the first — Jim Jordan has pulled the plug on his bid to become Speaker of the House, at least for now. He has not ruled out trying again, although the votes against him seem nearly impossible to overcome.

In the meantime, the House appears to be moving toward its Plan B, which is to further empower the interim Speaker of the House, Patrick McHenry. What’s interesting is that the House Republicans decided to do this to avoid the bipartisan coalition that Hakeem Jeffries was putting together to do the exact same thing. In other words, though many will say that they will “work across the aisle” during their campaigns, when it comes down to it, they’re adamantly opposed.

The additional (temporary) powers should allow McHenry to pass legislation to send aid packages to Israel and Ukraine. It’s unclear if the temporary powers will extend beyond the government’s funding deadline next month.

Dollars to Donuts says that McHenry will remain the “interim” Speaker of the House until the 2024 elections. The Republicans are otherwise never going to agree on a single candidate.