Jim Jordan suspends bid for speaker after rising GOP rebellion: LIVE

Rep Kevin McCarthy, the recently ousted speaker, reportedly screamed at Rep Matt Gaetz, who brought the motion to vacate against Mr McCarthy earlier this month, to sit down and Rep Michael Bost was seen “almost lunging at him,” a person who was in the room told Axios.

This comes after the announcement that Mr Jordan would not hold a third vote on his speakership bid on Thursday and is instead leaning towards backing Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry to serve as interim speaker until 3 January 2024.

Mr Jordan was reportedly told by colleagues that he should step down after losing two votes on the floor of the House and the votes against him from his own GOP members were expected to increase for each vote.

The Ohioan will remain the speaker designee and retain the right to go to the floor again at a later date.

Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene said the temporary solution is not the way to go.

“We should all be able to find a path in that room right there, and that requires putting the egos down,” she said.

Rep Jim Banks of Indiana, an ally of Mr Jordan, criticised said Mr McHenry doesn’t represent the whole of the House Republican conference.

“He doesn’t represent what the majority of the body is looking for in a speaker,” he said.

Similarly, Rep Scott Perry, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus which Mr Jordan co-founded, said Mr Jordan should keep trying to win enough votes to become speaker.

“We shouldn’t be setting this precedent or this will be the way we elect speakers from now on,” Mr Perry told The Independent.

One Republican who has thus far backed Mr Jordan, Rep Dan Crenshaw of Texas, said he was “definitely open” to the proposal to formalise Mr McHenry’s powers while adding the caveat that he hadn’t yet seen the actual plan.

Another Republican who previously voted for Mr Jordan, California Representative Darrell Issa, said Mr McHenry had conducted himself well during the post-McCarthy interregnum and deserved to remain in the post.

“Speaker McCarthy chose carefully and Patrick is shown himself to be very appropriate as a reserved and thoughtful interim leader. There’s no reason not to have him continue,” he said.

The proposal to enact a resolution empowering Mr McHenry has support from some moderate Democrats, as well as a few of the Republicans who’ve voted against Mr Jordan in the two votes held so far.

Rep Carlos Gimenez of Florida, an ally of Mr McCarthy who opposed Mr Jordan’s candidacy, told reporters he supports the measure to empower the North Carolinian through year’s end because it will let the House get back to work.

“We can’t get to a speaker. Everything is stopped. We need to get the House moving,” he said.

Rep Troy Nehls suggested that Donald Trump be brought in for 100 days to lead the GOP in the House.

Rep Don Bacon of Nebraska, another GOP member who didn’t vote for Mr Jordan, told Politico that his wife received texts and emails, urging her to convince her husband to back Mr Jordan.

Ms Miller-Meeks voted for Mr Jordan on the first ballot but chose to back Rep Kay Granger of Texas on the second vote on Wednesday.

“After one round of votes, with my support, he was not able to secure enough votes for the Speaker nomination and my initial concerns about threatening tactics of Jim Jordan’s supporters, including from members of Congress, increased despite assurances,” she said.

“Since my vote in support of Chairwoman Granger, I have received credible death threats and a barrage of threatening calls. The proper authorities have been notified and my office is cooperating fully,” she added. “One thing I cannot stomach, or support is a bully.”