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A damaging, weeks-long Republican leadership crisis deepened further Friday, leaving the paralyzed US legislature unable to perform even basic functions like funding the government and addressing growing national security concerns.
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In the 17 days since US House speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in a rebellion by right-wing hard-liners from within his own party, no other Republican has been able to muster enough votes to replace him, sparking one of the worst institutional crises Washington has seen in decades.
The party dropped Ohio conservative Jim Jordan, chairman of the influential Judiciary Committee, in a secret ballot Friday after he again failed to secure victory on the House floor on his third attempt.
Underscoring the dysfunction plaguing the party, the vote leaves Congress unable to respond to an urgent request by President Joe Biden for $106 billion in emergency funding – mainly military aid for Ukraine and Israel.
Lawmakers told reporters as they left Capitol Hill for the weekend they would hold a “candidate forum” to choose a new standard-bearer on Monday, with several hopefuls expected to be announced on Sunday.
“We need to come together and figure out who our speaker is going to be,” Jordan told reporters as he confirmed the end his of bid for the gavel, which places the holder second in line to the presidency.
“I’m going to work as hard as I can to help that individual so that we can go help the American people. And I’m also going to get back to work.”
Despite backing from former president and leading 2024 Republican hopeful Donald Trump, Jordan was defeated by 25 colleagues from his own side who joined every Democrat to deny him the gavel for the third time in four days.
‘Lives will be jeopardized’
“We’re in a very bad place right now,” McCarthy admitted…
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