(Cupventi.com) – Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, achieved a significant breakthrough in his pursuit of becoming the Speaker on Monday.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, a Republican from Alabama, made public his endorsement of Jordan’s bid for the speakership in a tweet on Monday.
Rogers had been a prominent opponent of Jordan’s candidacy for the role of Speaker. However, his change of stance represents a significant victory for the Republican nominee for Speaker. Rogers had been firm in his stance against supporting Jordan, stating the previous week that there was nothing Jordan could do to gain his backing for Speaker of the House.
This changed on Monday when Rogers revealed that he and Jordan had engaged in two positive and constructive conversations over the weekend concerning the vote and House GOP priorities. Rogers stated, “[Jordan] and I have had two cordial, thoughtful, and productive conversations over the past two days.”
He went on to say, “We agreed on the need for Congress to pass a strong NDAA, appropriations to fund our government’s vital functions, and other important legislation like the Farm Bill.” Rogers confirmed that following these conversations, he had “decided to support Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House on the floor.”
Rogers emphasized his history of being a team player and supporting what the majority of the Republican Conference agrees to. He added, “Together, our Republican majority will be stronger to fight Joe Biden’s reckless agenda for America.”
In response, Jordan expressed gratitude to Rogers for his support and stated that Rogers’ “leadership is just what our Conference needs right now.” Jordan urged everyone to come together and resume their work.
Russell Dye, a spokesperson for Jordan, reiterated that Jordan remains the sole person in the conference able to secure 217 votes and unify the conference. Dye stressed the importance of Republicans uniting and refocusing on their work, rather than internal conflicts.
House Republicans were set to reconvene for a conference meeting on Monday night, as Jordan pushed for a floor vote on Tuesday to elect the Speaker.
Jordan had secured the nomination of his party for Speaker on Friday following an unexpected challenge from Georgia GOP Representative Austin Scott, an ally of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise from Louisiana.
In the initial secret ballot conference vote, Jordan garnered 124 votes while Scott received 81, indicating some division in support for Jordan. A second secret ballot within the GOP conference showed 55 votes against Jordan for Speaker.
However, Jordan had the weekend to negotiate and persuade those who were against him, and Rogers’ change of stance suggests that more moderate members may reconsider and support the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.