Jim Jordan, a Republican elected official close to Donald Trump, is making another attempt to become speaker of the House of Representatives. However, he failed for the second time to muster enough votes in the vote last Wednesday. This delay in the election of the speaker has left the House of Representatives without a president for more than two weeks, which paralyzes the American Congress in the exercise of its powers.
The current situation in the House of Representatives is worrying, with a deep division within the Republican Party. Jim Jordan, a member of the party’s most conservative fringe, failed to gain the support needed to be elected speaker. Around twenty moderate elected officials criticize Jordan for positions that are too extreme, which has compromised his chances of victory.
Democrats, for their part, are also reluctant to support Jordan due to his ambiguous positioning in the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump continues to call this election “stolen”, without providing concrete evidence. This murky position of Jordan also worked against him in his quest to become the announcer.
Faced with this impasse, several scenarios are being considered to emerge from the crisis. Republicans could temporarily strengthen the powers of interim speaker Patrick McHenry to ensure the continuity of the functions of the House of Representatives. Another possibility would be a surprise alliance between moderate Republicans and Joe Biden’s Democrats, in order to form a coalition that transcends parties and ends the civil war within the Republican Party.
Whatever the solution chosen, it is urgent to find a new speaker so that the House of Representatives can resume its activities and vote on the laws necessary for the proper functioning of the country. Meanwhile, the US Congress is deprived of its primary powers, compromising its ability to govern and act on the challenges facing the country.