Speaker vote: Three things to watch for in the Wednesday House session

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) failed to win the speakership on the first full vote of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with another round of voting scheduled for Wednesday as the chamber looks to elect a leader.

The House has been without its constitutionally mandated leader for more than two weeks, and members will hold another vote at 11 a.m. to attempt to elect a new speaker. Here is a look at the three things to watch for as the House reconvenes on Wednesday.

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Will Jordan get more or less votes on the second ballot?

Jordan, who was selected as the speaker-designee by the GOP House conference last week, only garnered 200 votes in the first ballot on Tuesday, losing 20 Republicans and having one of his supporters absent. With all 221 House Republicans expected to be in attendance on Wednesday, Jordan can only afford to lose four votes to get to the necessary 217 majority to be elected.

While Jordan has gained at least one vote, with Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) announcing Tuesday night that he will vote for Jordan in subsequent votes after voting for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on the first ballot, there is an expectation that he may lose some votes in subsequent ballots.

If Jordan loses votes in the next ballot, it could doom his candidacy for House speaker, leading the House Republican conference to have to find another House speaker candidate.

Alex Brandon/AP

Jordan’s candidacy following the next round of voting

If Jordan is unable to secure the speakership after voting on Wednesday in either one round or multiple rounds, there may be pressure for the Ohio Republican to bow out of the speakership battle.

All three Republican speaker-designees in the 118th Congress, McCarthy, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), and Jordan, have struggled to get to the 217 required to be elected. McCarthy had to go 15 rounds in January and was ousted by eight Republicans and all Democrats earlier this month, and Scalise dropped out of the speaker race a day after being named the GOP’s nominee when it became clear he could not get to 217 votes.

Some Jordan skeptics have already been mounting a temporary plan if the Ohio Republican is unable to get elected or show progress toward getting elected.

Empowering Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC)

One idea being entertained as the House speaker turmoil continues is empowering House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC), who is serving in the caretaker position while the chamber works to elect a new speaker.

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With the 45-day stopgap measure ending in less than a month and a conflict in Israel, there is mounting pressure for the House to get to work. Without an elected speaker, the chamber is paralyzed, unable to conduct legislative activity without its constitutionally mandated leader.

Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) said on Wednesday morning that he is exploring a resolution to empower McHenry as an interim solution until a new speaker can be elected. Joyce cited the war in Israel and an inability of a candidate to get to 217 votes as the reason for his proposal.