Local lawmakers respond to House Speaker latest – KFYR

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – The search for a new House Speaker was unsuccessful again this week. House Republicans failed to elect Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan after multiple votes on the House floor.

The United States has now gone 18 days without a House Speaker and with Jim Jordan stepping out of the race, the process will now have to start all over again.

This week on Capitol Hill, Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan went through three rounds of voting on the House floor to become the next Speaker. Jordan lost all three bids as some Republicans still didn’t want to get on board and support him. Montana Congressman Matt Rosendale, a supporter of Jim Jordan, says it’s disappointing that some of those Republicans wouldn’t come around.

“The most disappointing to me is I really think it was just anger and frustration and not truly differences of opinion over policy and procedure that kept folks from supporting Jim,” said Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Montana.

Republicans in the House are starting to recognize the broader picture of not having a Speaker and how long it’s been since there has been one.

“Over 17 days we took our leader out, we took our second in command out, and we just took our grassroots folk hero out. I think everyone is realizing Speaker McCarthy held the conference together with duct tape and silly putty,” said Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-North Dakota.

With a Speaker not chosen this week, Republicans have set a deadline of noon on Sunday for interested candidates to submit their names. On Monday evening, the House Republicans will hear speeches from the declared candidates. On Tuesday, they will vote in the early morning inside the conference.

“Then at 11 AM, these are all Eastern times, we will be back on the House floor to see if we can vote someone in for Speaker of the House,” said Rosendale.

Many Republicans hoping that out of this next round of candidates someone is chosen, and business can get back to normal.

“Republicans need to come together and elect a Speaker. We’ve got work to do for the American people,” said Armstrong.

Rosendale says that although there is not a Speaker, he wants constituents who may be concerned that Congress is still working to get things done.

“We will have a Speaker seated when we have a Speaker seated. We are fully functioning, and so they need not worry,” said Rosendale.

Many Americans are hoping a Speaker is chosen soon as the deadline for the next government shutdown looms.

According to Politico, several Republicans in the House have already expressed their interest in running for Speaker. They include Representative Austin Scott of Georgia, Representative Kevin Hern of Oklahoma and Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota.

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