Third Vote
After lawmakers did not conduct a vote on the Speaker of the House on Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives are expected to conduct a third Speaker vote at 10 a.m. on Friday.
According to previous reports, the unofficial total for the second vote on Wednesday was 199 votes for U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the House Republican’s Speaker Designee, 212 votes for U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, and the minority leader for the U.S. House of Representatives, and 22 votes for another person.
Here is how Indiana lawmakers voted during Wednesday’s second Speaker of the House vote. With 427 members being present for the third vote, it will take 214 votes to vote in the Speaker of the House. This story will be updated as the vote occurs:
Third Vote
| James Baird | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Jim Banks | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Larry Bucshon | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Erin Houchin | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Greg Pence | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Victoria Spartz | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Rudy Yakym III | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Andre Carson | Democrat | Hakeem Jeffries |
| Frank Mrvan | Democrat | Hakeem Jeffries |
At the end of the third vote on Friday, the unofficial total was 194 votes for Jordan, 210 votes for U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, and the minority leader for the U.S. House of Representatives, and 25 votes for another person. No one had the majority and there is expected to be a fourth vote for the Speaker of the House position.
The U.S. House of Representatives is now in recess, subject to the call of the chair.
On Friday, reports from The Hill said that the Republican conference voted to no longer back Jordan as its Speaker of the House nominee. Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. said that the House GOP will host a candidate forum at 6:30 p.m. Monday at 6:30 p.m., and a secret ballot election for a new Speaker nominee will be at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
The deadline to declare a candidacy for Speaker is 12 p.m. Sunday, members said.
Indiana Lawmaker Reactions
Prior to Friday’s third vote for Speaker of the House, U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind. District 3 said he is once again planning to support Jordan in this vote.
“I’m about to cast my vote again for Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House,” Banks said. “I will not be deterred by those who are threatening me to back off. Jim Jordan is the fighter we need to save our country and he never backs down either when it comes to putting America first!”
After Friday’s third vote, U.S. Rep. James Baird, R-Ind. District 4 said in a statement:
“I’m incredibly disappointed that we’ve again failed to rally around a new Speaker. We have 28 days left before government funding runs dry. This paralysis on Capitol Hill is unacceptable.”
As the vote occurs, reactions from Indiana lawmakers will be added below.
Update
After a second Speaker of the House vote on Wednesday was unsuccessful, the U.S. House of Representatives continues to be without a Speaker on Thursday.
The U.S. House of Representatives had scheduled a session for 12 p.m. Thursday. Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. gaveled seven minutes later, stating that the House was in recess subject to the call of the chair.
At the end of the second vote on Wednesday, the unofficial total was 199 votes for Jordan, 212 votes for U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, and the minority leader for the U.S. House of Representatives, and 22 votes for another person.
After Wednesday’s vote, U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind. District 6 said in a Thursday post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that it is important for House Republicans to elect a Speaker.
“Many of my constituents and businesses in my district have reached out to me personally and to my office,” Pence said. “They are frustrated. They want a productive and stable government that can get stuff done. While a multitude of pressing issues are occurring in our country, at our border and around the world, we are wasting time. It is imperative that we elect a Speaker of the House immediately.”
According to reports from The Hill on Thursday morning, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio is expected to back a resolution to empower the current Speaker Pro Tempore McHenry. This comes as Jordan is expected to continue to work to shore up support for his bid for Speaker of the House.
In a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R- Ind. District 3 said he was “threatened for supporting Jim Jordan.” Banks later said in the post that he reported the threat to Capitol Police.
“I didn’t blame the Republicans who voted against Jim Jordan,” Banks said in the post.
In an additional post, Banks said the American people gave “us,” meaning the Republican Party, the majority. Banks said that through today’s session, he is worried that the power will be handed over to the Democrats.
“Expanding powers for a temporary Speaker is a dangerous precedent and exactly what the Democrats hoped would happen,” Banks said. “I’m a NO vote!”
Later in the afternoon, Banks doubled down on his support for Jordan, saying in a statement that Jordan is “the conservative fighter” the U.S. House of Representatives needs in a Speaker of the House.
“…I will continue to vote for him as long as it takes,” Banks said. “I will oppose any efforts to hand our majority back over to the Democrats or any other foolish move by Republicans to screw our voters.”
Second Vote
A second vote for the Speaker of the House is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday after an initial vote on Tuesday was unsuccessful for any candidate.
On Tuesday, the unofficial total was 200 votes for U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, 212 votes for U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, the minority leader for the U.S. House of Representatives, and 20 votes for another person.
Here is how Indiana lawmakers voted during Wednesday’s second Speaker of the House vote. This story will be updated as the vote occurs:
Second Vote
| James Baird | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Jim Banks | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Larry Bucshon | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Erin Houchin | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Greg Pence | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Victoria Spartz | Republican | Jim Jordan (Did not answer when her name was first called) |
| Rudy Yakym III | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Andre Carson | Democrat | Hakeem Jeffries |
| Frank Mrvan | Democrat | Hakeem Jeffries |
At the end of the second vote, the unofficial total was 199 votes for Jordan, 212 votes for U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, and the minority leader for the U.S. House of Representatives, and 22 votes for another person. Because no member had the votes to be elected in the second round, a third vote for Speaker of the House is expected. A candidate needs 217 votes to win the Speaker of the House position.
A third vote is currently not scheduled. This story will be updated once a third vote is scheduled.
Indiana Lawmaker Reactions
Prior to Wednesday’s vote, U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind. District 5 is calling for Republicans to govern, in a new statement on social media.
“Jim (Jordan) is elected by members and accountable to members from very diverse districts, so coercion and intimidation is not a good idea,” Spartz said in the post. “Before you coronate Jim (Jordan) please assess if he was effective for you or for (U.S. Rep. and previous Speaker of the House Kevin) McCarthy as Judiciary Chair.”
U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind. District 7 also provided his thoughts on social media prior to Wednesday’s second vote. Carson said:
“Jim Jordan has unsuccessfully attempted to slash Social Security and Medicare, criminalize abortion, and overturn the 2020 election. At a time of crisis across the world, my colleagues across the aisle need to get serious. We need real leadership, not political bickering.”
U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind. District 3 continued to provide support for Jordan on social media on Wednesday prior to the second vote. Banks said:
“We have opportunity in few mins to elect a trusted & proven conservative to be the next Speaker of the House. Jim Jordan is the fighter we need to save our great country from those who want to tear it down. I’m proud to cast my vote on behalf of northeast Indiana for Jim Jordan!”
After Wednesday’s vote, U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind. District 5 said she was inspired to vote for Jordan after the nominating speech from U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla, calling the speech “bold and truthful.”
“But I still think we need to call back an organizational meeting to hash out our difference,” Spartz said in a social media post.
After Wednesday’s vote, Banks continued to support Jordan, saying in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that he believes Republicans are retreating.
“Let’s elect Jim Jordan to be our speaker of the house and get back to work to save this great country,” the post read.
In a statement on social media, U.S. Rep. James Baird, R-Ind. District 4 said:
“The political games in Washington are turning attention away from the actual problem: criminals and potential Iranian terrorists crossing the border. We must select a new Speaker who will take swift action on the border and support our allies overseas.”
In a statement, U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon, R-Ind. District 8 said:
I will continue to stand with the majority of House Republicans in supporting the candidate that was chosen from within our Conference. Currently, that candidate is Jim Jordan and Republicans should unite around him to enact our conservative agenda to rein in Washington’s out-of-control spending, secure our southern border, and hold the Biden administration accountable.
Bucshon
In an interview with FOX59/CBS4, Spartz gave her reactions to Wednesday’s second Speaker of the House vote. Spartz said she was initially a Jordan supporter in conference. But she said that changed because she believes he listens to U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and former Speaker of the House, too much.
“I told Jim, ‘it’s a bad idea because you have to work with members and members will be upset because the American people are upset and you will get a lot of calls, but people will start digging in,'” Spartz said.
“A Speaker is elected to serve its members and be able to govern members, so you have to be able to work with people,” Spartz said later. “If you use coercion and intimidation like Kevin McCarthy did, it made him lose his Speakership.”
Spartz changed her vote from U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-KY the first time back to Jordan the second time. Spartz said she was impressed by the nominating speech given by U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. for Jordan. Spartz thought it was bold and honest and she wanted to support the initiative he presented.
Spartz believes that the Republicans need to go back and have open discussion on the Speaker of the House vote. Spartz said she hopes it doesn’t take many more votes because “grandstanding is not a way to find a solution.”
“I still insist that we need to go back and have… a meeting and try to reconcile our differences as a group,” she said. “I just don’t think him (Jordan) doing it personally at this point is going to work better. I think it’s important for us to have honest conversations, which is very difficult to have in a public arena, with a lot of cameras, a lot of drama.”
Spartz stressed that Republicans should not leave a meeting until they reach 217 votes, the number needed to elect a Speaker of the House.
“I think Jim should have another try,” she said. “I think he was pretty close. I truly believe that some of the things he did recently weren’t helpful to him… But I think he still should try to make his case and we should try to figure out if it can happen for him. If he at this point can’t figure it out, we have several members who have an interest in being nominees too. They should make their case.”
This story will continue to be updated with quotes from Indiana lawmakers as the second vote occurs.
Original Story – First Vote:
INDIANAPOLIS — After Kevin McCarthy served nearly 10 months as Speaker of the House, it took just days for him to lose his seat. Now lawmakers, including nine representing Indiana, will vote once again on a person to fill the position.
According to reports from The Hill, a vote to select a new Speaker of the House is expected at 12 p.m. on Tuesday. U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio was named the Republican nominee for Speaker of the House on Friday. When the Republican conference was asked at that time if they would support Jordan on the floor, the vote was reported as 152-55.
This comes after it took days and numerous votes for the prior Speaker of the House, U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy R-Calif., to be put into the position in January.
After nearly 10 months in the position, a group of hard-right Republicans joined House Democrats to oust McCarthy, causing the Speaker of the House position to be vacant for the first time in history.
According to previous reports, some Indiana lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind. District 3 and U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind. District 9, have expressed their support for Jordan’s bid for Speaker of the House.
“It’s clear Jim Jordan is uniquely suited for this moment to unite Republicans and lead Congress in the days ahead,” Houchin said in a post on social media on Tuesday morning. “That’s why I was proud to second his nomination in conference and why he will have my support today for Speaker on the house floor.”
Other lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind. District 5, have expressed hesitancy in voting for Jordan. In a statement released late Monday, Spartz said while she voted for Jordan, she does not support what has happened since then.
I did vote for Kevin McCarthy, reluctantly, in January after moving to “present” to express my dissatisfaction when he tried to intimidate conservatives on the floor into voting for him. I also reluctantly decided not to vacate him regardless of how I felt about his policy failures. I did not support Steve Scalise in conference, but publicly said I would support him on the first vote if goes to the floor. I also asked Steve not to act tyrannically as Kevin did if he cannot get the vote in conference, which he graciously did.
I voted to support Jim Jordan in conference, but what happened Friday night is not acceptable. After undermining Steve and appearing to make some kind of a deal with Jim, Kevin forced the conference to adjourn and announced that Jim Jordan was going to be our speaker next week. Unfortunately, Jim did not object to Kevin, as also on a few other occasions as the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
I hate to remind Kevin, but we fought a war not to have kings with successors. I am willing to give Jim another chance and assess his wisdom of governing to allow conference, not floor, deliberation on his nomination to proceed tomorrow as he promised during the conference debate.
I would also like to remind Jim that Republicans are not sheep and will refuse to support him if he will try to use the same McCarthy intimidation techniques on members on the floor, even if I have to run again, so McCarthy and his friends have a chance to primary me.”
Spartz
Here is how Indiana lawmakers voted during Tuesday’s Speaker of the House vote. This story will be updated as the vote occurs:
First Vote:
| James Baird | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Jim Banks | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Larry Bucshon | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Erin Houchin | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Greg Pence | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Victoria Spartz | Republican | Thomas Massie (Did not answer when her name was first called) |
| Rudy Yakym III | Republican | Jim Jordan |
| Andre Carson | Democrat | Hakeem Jeffries |
| Frank Mrvan | Democrat | Hakeem Jeffries |
At the end of the first vote, the unofficial total was 200 votes for Jordan, 212 votes for U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, and the minority leader for the U.S. House of Representatives, and 20 votes for another person. Because no member had the votes to be elected in the first round, a second vote for Speaker of the House is expected. A candidate needs 217 votes to win the Speaker of the House position.
Indiana Lawmaker Reactions
At 12:28 p.m., U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind. District 3 said in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, said:
“I am proud to cast my vote on behalf of northeast Indiana to make Jim Jordan the next Speaker of the House!”
At 1:09 p.m., U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind. District 7 said in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, said:
“Governing is about finding common ground. We need a Speaker who can work across the aisle. Jim Jordan has been in Congress for 16 years and has not passed a single bill. With so much at stake, we don’t need a MAGA extremist in charge of the House.”
In a statement given to FOX59/CBS4 Tuesday afternoon, Carson said:
“Jim Jordan has attempted to slash Social Security and Medicare, criminalize abortion, and overturn the 2020 election. At a time of crisis across the world, my colleagues across the aisle need to get serious. We need real leadership, not political bickering.”
U.S. Rep. James Baird, R-Ind. District 4 released the following statement after voting in favor of Jordan during Tuesday’s first vote.
“Every legislative day that is wasted discussing House Leadership’s position is valuable time the House should spend fulfilling its commitment to the American people,” Baird said. “Any motion to vacate would be a distraction that undermines our ability to lead and causes more gridlock in Washington.”
In an updated statement, Banks also continued to speak on his support behind Jordan ahead of Wednesday’s second vote.
“I look forward to voting for Jim Jordan to be Speaker on the House Floor tomorrow,” Banks said. “With Jim as Speaker, House Republicans will hold the Biden administration accountable, fight to secure the border, and always put America First. He is a strong conservative leader and has my full support.”
U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind. District 6 released the following statement Tuesday night regarding the ongoing vote to appoint the next Speaker of the House.
Today, on the first ballot, I voted to support Congressman Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House because that is who has been chosen by the majority of the Republican Conference as our candidate. I am very disappointed to see that for over two weeks now, we have not been able to do our job, which is to legislate and govern for the American people. Moving forward, House Republicans need to come together and elect a speaker so that we can get back to work to lower inflation, secure our border, regain American energy dominance, strengthen our national security, support Israel, and fight back against the Biden Administration’s woke policies.
Pence
