WASHINGTON — The three Texas Republicans who voted against Rep. Jim Jordan’s election to House speaker on Tuesday did not budge in the second round of voting.
When Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was nominated for House speaker a second time, many of his Republican colleagues stood and applauded. But in video of the floor proceedings, you could see Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Waxahachie, did not.
For the second straight day, Ellzey and fellow Texas Republicans Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, and Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, declined to vote for Jordan. All of them sit on the powerful Appropriations Committee. Ellzey and Gonzales are also Navy veterans.
“I can just tell you that there’s a lot of support for Jim Jordan in Texas,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, just after the speaker vote. “So I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of that, knowing the voters of Texas.”
Granger is one of the most senior members of the House and the appropriations committee chairperson. She supported Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana for speaker.
In a statement shared on social media, Granger said, “Steve Scalise is an honorable man and has earned my vote for Speaker. This was a vote of conscience, and I stayed true to my principles. Intimidation and threats will not change my position.”
Separately, Granger picked up one vote to be speaker from Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa.
“It’s not lost on me that appropriators and essentially House Armed Services Committee folks are the most skeptical at the moment,” Roy said. “When you’re trying to change the status quo, stop spending money we don’t have and stop engaging in endless conflict with the money that we don’t have, they tend to bite back.”
The 22 other Texas Republicans in the House voted for Jordan. But the Judiciary Chairperson once again fell short of the 217 he needed. Jordan lost votes in the second round of balloting, leaving his supporters worried about his chances.
“I’ve got constituents back at home (who say), you guys are confused and lost. You’re not united, and that’s the problem I think at times with the Republican Party. We’re not united,” said Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond.
When asked on Tuesday what his message to colleagues is after two weeks without a speaker, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, said, “You’re playing with fire, you’re playing politics, playing games. We need to govern. It’s not hurting my party, it hurts the American people and our standing in the world.”
Jordan’s dwindling pathway to the speaker’s gavel encouraged rumblings on Capitol Hill that there could be an effort to empower the temporary speaker, Rep, Patrick McHenry, R-North Carolina. While at least a few Texas Republicans were open to doing so, some Freedom Caucus members firmly oppose giving full powers to a temporary speaker.
“To do that would be playing games with such an important position as third in line to the to the presidency, we should do our job and select a speaker, the Constitution says that, so any move to do otherwise is contrary to the Constitution and would do damage to not just the Republican Party, but the House of Representatives,” Roy said.
“Somebody’s saying McHenry should be able to expand his powers and allow us to respond to the horrible crisis that’s happening in Israel. I support that,” Nehls said. “But don’t come here and tell me we’re going to throw more money at Ukraine because then you’re gonna lose me there. So separate the two.”
All the Texas Democrats voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York.
On social media, Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston said, “It’s time for House Republicans to work together with House Democrats to reach a bipartisan solution.”