Rep. Austin Scott Withdraws From Speaker Race, Endorses Jordan
Centrist Democrats said they would support a plan to temporarily expand House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry’s powers.
For some reason, Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) entered the Speaker of the House race on Friday against House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan.
Jordan emerged with 124 votes. Scott received 81 votes.
Scott has withdrawn and encouraged his fellow Republicans to support Jordan.
I highly respect Jim Jordan. He is an asset to the Republican Party and our nominee for Speaker. Our conference has spoken, and now we must unite behind Jordan so we can get Congress back to work.
— Rep. Austin Scott (@AustinScottGA08) October 13, 2023
The Republicans went home for the weekend on Friday despite having a Speaker nominee. They didn’t take the vote to the floor. They did the same when Majority Leader Steve Scalise won the first round of votes.
Why? The nominee needs 217 Republican votes when all are present.
We know none of the Democrats will cross the aisle to support Jordan.
However, centrist Democrats said they would support a plan to temporarily expand House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry’s (R-NC) powers.
The government is at a standstill. The House needs a Speaker to function. We all know how I feel about all of this, but I digress.
From The Hill:
“In light of our nation’s pressing issues, a looming government shutdown, and the attacks on our key ally, Israel, we strongly support an immediate vote to expand the Speaker Pro Tempore’s authorities to all for the consideration of a legislative agenda limited to the most pressing issues,” the letter said.
Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Ed Case (D-Hawaii), Susie Lee (D-Nev.) and Jared Golden (D-Maine) suggested Congress expand the abilities of the temporary speaker in 15-day increments until a new speaker is chosen. All four of the authors are leaders of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
They said McHenry should be able to bring before the House proposed legislation that only covers specific areas.
The Democrats said McHenry should have the ability “to introduce foreign aid and emergency funding for Ukraine and Israel, an extension of the current continuing resolution through Jan. 11 to prevent a government shutdown and the consideration of the remaining appropriations bills.”
To avoid “Rules Committee gridlock,” the Democrats suggested McHenry could “introduce suspension bills to be evenly distributed among the majority and minority caucuses.”
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Comments
Beware of Democrats bearing gifts.
Yep, it’s all about continuing the gravy train.
Bearing gifts but working grifts.
Republicans better not blow this and give Jeffries the seat from inter fighting, bet. Every Democrat will join hands.
Jeffries has to get 217 like any other candidate. That involves some GOPe crossing over.
No Republican would ever vote for Jeffries. Maybe for some DINO, if they can find one, but not for him.
Also beware of GOPe Republicans seeking bipartisanship [which translates into Republican defeat].
Subotai Bahadur
“However, centrist Democrats said they would support a plan to temporarily expand House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry’s (R-NC) powers.”
Let’s ask Admiral Ackbar for his thoughts on this.
bring the vote to the floor.
make the GOP own their vote
and explain it to the voters back home.
Now it’s Mike Roger (R-AL) from a district that Trump won by more than 30-points who’s trying to work with Jeffries to elect someone other than Jordan. I don’t know who Roger’s primary challenger will be. But, I know I’m sending him/her $250 they day they announce.
Rogers is the epitome of the establishment. As voters we gotta do a better job of evaluating, selecting, supporting and electing GoP candidates in red States and red CD. Once these establishment goons get elected the power of incumbency makes their removal in a primary incredibly difficult.
100%. We have to turn out higher in the primaries.
IN a series of tweets this morning (10/16), Mike Rogers has just announced his support for Jordan. He must have heard the footsteps of a primary challenger.
To paraphrase mytself from yesterday, there is nothing more permanent thaen a temporary solution, there is nothing more unlimited then limited powers. Screw McHenry.
This Scott advance is a good step forward ( guess he heard from his constituents), but they’ve lsot Ukrainian girl. SO maybe two steps forward and one step back.
The so-called ‘centrist Democrats’ just voted in lockstep when ordered to by The Party.
This is the Democrat party sending out their lapdogs because they’re having buyer’s remorse after realizing that Jordan is now the candidate and likely Speaker, and all of the BUT WE NEED A SPEAKER TO AVERT DISASTER rhetorical nonsense is coming back to bite them, so they’re desperately trying to get RINO McCarthy back in.
Why exactly do we need a Speaker ASAP? We had one for 9 months but the d/prove in the Senate and the Biden WH didn’t seem to give a crap about that when negotiating. There’s existing authority for the WH to direct DoD to transfer munitions to Israel. What’s the urgency to select someone/anyone as Speaker?
We have a CR that runs for a few more weeks. Upon its expiration there will be a Federal govt ‘shutdown’ where agencies will instruct non essential federal employees not to work. That means about six weeks until Jan 1st where we have an existing new budget. It’s already passed and automatically kicks into use at 99% of FY23 levels.
The committee structure is still functional. Every committee in the HoR can perform all of its functions right now. The GoP has the same leadership team in the HoR that the d/prog have. The GoP majority leader can handle negotiations with the Senate and WH should they want to engage in good faith negotiations to avert the current reality.
In sum we already have an existing budget for FY24, sufficient authority exists to transfer munitions/ordinance to Israel and the committee structure is still able to function. What can’t happen without a Speaker is new legislation. What new legislation is so critical that we need to rush through the process to select a Speaker?
The only two things I can see as possible arguments are funding a CR between the expiration of the current CR and Jan 1st when the EXISTING budget takes effect and more Ukraine funding. Both of those things are highly desired by the DC establishment but not so important to everyday GoP voters. I don’t see any need to rush towards failure just to appease the DC establishment, the lapdog legacy media or the Biden admin. Let them negotiate in good faith with the GoP HoR majority leader on a parallel track while the GoP takes it time to make a solid choice.
Austin, we hardly knew ye.
Not upset with Jordan becoming speaker but RIP his career. He had such promise. This is a real dead end job for most people and the enormous HR branch of the legislature is like herding cats. The same people cheering on this shut down will be at his throat the minute he does something they don’t 100% agree with.
If Jordon or anyone else as Speaker uses the authority of his office and the primacy of the HoR to control and direct appropriations while ensuring that the Senate and WH are reminded, painfully if needed, repeatedly if needed about who has that power while bringing us 75% of the loaf but not giving in to key d/prog priorities or poison pills then that’s good enough for me. What the Speaker can’t do is deviate from regular order in the budget process. That’s THE unforgivable sin which has for decades led to unrestrained Federal spending and a nearly unsustainable level of debt.
I hope Jim Jordan can get the votes on Tuesday, he based.
No on expanding powers. Seat a speaker, or shut it all down. It matters not to me Definitely no expanding powers to waste more money on foreign aid.
“The government is at a standstill. The House needs a Speaker to function.”
This sounds more like a solution than a problem…
“Centrist democrats” are mythological creatures. No such thing exists.