Politics

(WASHINGTON) — Jordan is expected to soon tell his GOP colleagues that he won’t hold a third vote for the role of speaker and instead will throw his weight behind expanding powers for the Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, sources tell ABC News.

Jordan, a conservative firebrand, staunch Donald Trump loyalist and founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, received his party’s nomination last week after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise bowed out of the race.

The Ohio congressman now faces an uphill battle to secure the 217 votes he needs to win the gavel.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Oct 19, 11:32 AM EDT
Jordan expected to announce he will not hold 3rd vote for speakership

After two failed votes so far, Jordan is expected to soon tell his GOP colleagues that he won’t hold a third vote for the role of speaker and instead will throw his weight behind expanding powers for the Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, according to two sources familiar with the decision.

Oct 19, 10:17 AM EDT
Republicans expected to meet Thursday morning ahead of possible vote

House Republicans are expected to meet behind closed doors in the Capitol basement at 11 a.m. Thursday to discuss the speaker race situation ahead of a possible floor vote later in the day.

A vote could take place on the floor as early at noon, but the exact timing — and details of the vote — haven’t been set.

Oct 18, 7:32 PM EDT
Republicans say they were threatened after not voting for Jordan

Nearly half a dozen GOP members who have voted against Jordan said they or their offices were threatened or harassed — including, in the case of one lawmaker, with “credible death threats.”

“No American should accost another for their beliefs. We condemn all threats against our colleagues, and it is imperative that we come together. Stop. It’s abhorrent,” Jordan said in a statement on X.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez of Florida told ABC News that his office and staff have been receiving calls to try to pressure him to back Jordan.

“He [Jordan] told me he wasn’t behind it and he has asked people to stop. If you have asked people to stop it, why haven’t they listened to you?” Gimenez said.

Oct 18, 7:56 PM EDT
McHenry says he’ll give Jordan ‘as long as he needs’ to clinch speakership

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., said he plans on giving Jordan “as long as he needs” to garner the support necessary to clinch the speakership.

“Look, Speaker-designee Jordan is working with the conference to get his votes. It’s a tight time frame. But look — he has the most votes in the conference. We’ve had two ballots and I think he has the support of the conference. I think we are going to keep working,” McHenry told reporters.

McHenry added that House Republicans didn’t “have plans to” hold a conference meeting Wednesday evening after Jordan failed to win the gavel for the second time in two days.

Oct 18, 4:53 PM EDT
Next House votes happening Thursday afternoon

Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s office said the House will not take any further votes Wednesday. The next votes are expected Thursday no earlier than 12 p.m., Emmer said.

That means the soonest the next speaker vote could happen would be Thursday afternoon.

Oct 18, 4:16 PM EDT
House will not vote again for speaker on Wednesday, next vote possible Thursday

The House is not expected to take another vote for speaker on Wednesday, sources tell ABC News.

Jordan told reporters that another vote for speaker could come Thursday.

Sources tell ABC News that Jordan has also pushed for a vote on a resolution empowering Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, but it’s unclear if the GOP leadership team will agree to put that on the floor while Jordan is still an active candidate for speaker, and while other Republicans may be waiting in the wings to make a play for the gavel if he exits the race.

-ABC’s Benjamin Siegel

Oct 18, 3:54 PM EDT
Rep. Barr jokes with Capitol tourists: ‘Any of you want to sign up?’

More than two hours have passed and there’s little progress to report with the House still in recess. Still, there was a moment of levity with tourists amid the tense and chaotic speakership battle.

Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., just popped into the chamber and noticed about 20 visitors seated patiently in the gallery and shouted, “We’re looking for a speaker. Any of you want to sign up?”

The crowd laughed and someone shouted a question — asking him whether lawmakers are coming back for another round of votes for speaker.

He said he thought that was the plan and then walked over to the back of the chamber to chat with the visitors.

“Where are you from?” Barr asked, to which several visitors responded they were from South Carolina, Pittsburgh and Virginia.

Barr, who was the only member in the Chamber during this interaction, mingled for a few minutes before excusing himself.

“Thanks for coming,” he said. “Sorry we can’t show you any more right now.”

Oct 18, 3:28 PM EDT
Breaking down Jordan’s performance, GOP defectors

Jordan received one fewer vote in the second round than he did on Tuesday, receiving 199 votes.

Jordan picked up three members, but lost four others.

Seven Republicans voted for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who initially won the party’s nomination for speaker but bowed out of the race last week. They were: Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, Drew Ferguson of Georgia, Tony Gonzales of Texas, Kay Granger of Texas, John Rutherford of Florida, Mike Simpson of Idaho and Steve Womack of Arkansas.

Five voted for McCarthy: Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Lori Chavez DeRemer of Oregon, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Jennifer Kiggans of Virginia and Mike Lawler of New York.

Other Republicans who voted for someone else include Reps Vern Buchanan of Florida, Ken Buck of Ohio, Jake Ellzey of Kansas, Mary Miller-Meeks of Iowa, John James of Michigan, Mike Kelley of Pennsylvania and Pete Stauber of Minnesota.

Oct 18, 3:21 PM EDT
Centrists, institutionalists block Jordan’s path

The 22 Republicans who voted against Jordan make up a group of centrists and institutionalists who show no signs of budging anytime soon.

The group of detractors cited an array of reasons for voting against Jordan, including refusing to reward the lawmakers who voted to oust McCarthy, bristling against the pressure campaign from Jordan’s allies and rising worries over Jordan’s ideological rigidity, including his support for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

“It made us mad, and it backfires,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said Wednesday on Newsmax of the pressure campaign. “Some of the younger folks, maybe that works. But someone like me … you win us over with an argument that makes sense. You’re going to have to convince us. And threatening us does not work.”

Oct 18, 1:39 PM EDT
Jordan suffers 2nd defeat

Jordan has officially lost a second vote in his bid for speaker.

The Ohio Republican received 199 votes. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries received 212 votes. Twenty-two Republicans cast their ballot for someone else.

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry gaveled the House into recess.

3:24
Jim Jordan loses more votes in second round of voting for House speaker

Oct 18, 1:12 PM EDT
GOP likely to meet behind closed doors after vote

Republicans will most likely go into a closed-door conference meeting, which is expected to include discussions about a potential short-term solution, among other things.

A conference meeting hasn’t officially been noticed to Republicans yet, but sources said that’s the next expected step after the vote closes.

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 18, 1:01 PM EDT
Republican opposition to Jordan rises

Jordan is facing even more opposition in this second round, with 22 Republicans so far casting their ballot for someone else.

On Tuesday, he had 20 GOP defectors.

The vote is still ongoing.

Oct 18, 12:26 PM EDT
Jordan on track for another defeat

The vote is ongoing, but already 10 Republicans have voted against Jordan, with that number expected to rise.

Oct 18, 12:18 PM EDT
Second vote for speaker is underway

A roll call vote is now underway.

Each member is being called on alphabetically to voice who they want to see succeed McCarthy. Jordan can only afford to lose four House Republicans before a fifth upsets his bid.

Oct 18, 12:51 PM EDT
Rep. Tom Cole nominates Jordan for speaker

Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole stood to nominate Jordan for the second ballot vote, saying he has what it takes to be speaker.

“He doesn’t dissemble. He simply tells you straight up, ‘this is what I believe,’ ‘this is why I think it’s the right thing to do for this country and that’s why I’m going to try to accomplish and work with you any way I can to do it,'” Cole said.

Cole commended Jordan’s work on committees and his stances on spending, immigration and more.

Cole also invoked the terror attacks in Israel, stating Israel is within its right to punish Hamas, which received a standing ovation from Republicans and Democrats.

“In a moment of crisis, and we are in a moment of crisis, we should come together to act,” Cole said. “And we know we can’t do that without a speaker of the House.”

Democrats once again nominated Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.

Oct 18, 11:44 AM EDT
Jordan: ‘We got to decide today’ on path forward

Jordan told reporters the American people deserve to have an answer today on what lies ahead.

“Look, I think we got to decide today. Are we going to have a Republican speaker … or is the body going to adopt this resolution with the speaker pro tempore?” Jordan said, referencing an effort to empower Rep. Patrick McHenry to conduct House business.

“I think both questions should be called,” Jordan said. “Let’s get an answer. We’ve been at this two weeks, the American people deserve to have their government functioning.”

Oct 18, 11:14 AM EDT
Republicans poised to reject Jordan on second ballot

Jordan is poised to lose Wednesday on a second ballot on the election of a speaker, but the Ohio Republican is showing no signs of giving up.

While Jordan has continued to attempt to sway holdout Republicans, only Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California has announced a change of heart following the first ballot. LaMalfa had initially voted for his fellow Californian, McCarthy — and now says he’ll support Jordan instead of the former speaker on the second ballot.

But the 19 other Republicans who bucked Jordan in the first round have not publicly shifted their stance yet, and Jordan is actually expected to lose additional lawmakers on the second ballot.

Oct 18, 10:19 AM EDT
Jordan could lose more Republicans on second ballot

A few Republican holdouts are reluctant to even take another meeting with Jordan or return his phone calls ahead of the second ballot set for Wednesday morning, sources tell ABC News.

By forcing another vote, Jordan runs the risk of losing even more Republicans on the second ballot. It’s unclear just how many gave him assurances that they’d only support him on the first round.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that talks between Democrats and Republicans have accelerated on an alternative plan to get the House back to business. Sources say Jeffries floated the idea of elevating a temporary speaker for a limited time so the House can do its work — a signal that a growing number of Democrats could support this plan.

Most Republicans expect the opposition against Jordan to grow Wednesday.

Oct 18, 9:42 AM EDT
If Jordan’s can’t win, one Republican wants to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry

Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, one of the few remaining moderates in the GOP majority, could bring up a motion to empower temporary speaker Patrick McHenry if Jordan can’t lock down the votes for speaker on the second ballot Wednesday morning.

“After two weeks without a Speaker of the House and no clear candidate with 217 votes in the Republican conference, it is time to look at other viable options. By empowering Patrick McHenry as Speaker Pro Tempore we can take care of our ally Israel until a new Speaker is elected,” Joyce said in a statement.

By officially “empowering” McHenry, Republicans could give themselves a (temporary) off ramp to approve emergency aid to Israel and to fund the government to avert a shutdown next month.

It’s not clear how long Joyce is proposing to empower McHenry, or if Republicans will allow Joyce to do so, instead of letting others run for speaker if Jordan falls short. It’s likely Democrats would need to back the proposal on the House floor, too.

McHenry and his team have suggested he isn’t interested in the role.

Oct 17, 5:21 PM EDT
Next speaker vote expected Wednesday morning

The next speaker vote will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jordan said after he left a two-hour meeting in Whip Emmer’s office.

He reiterated that he is not going to drop out of the speaker battle and emphasized that he had basically the same level of support as McCarthy on his first vote in January.

Jordan said he expects to gain support in a Wednesday morning vote, mentioning Florida Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who missed today’s vote because of a family funeral. He didn’t address potential future defectors.

Oct 17, 4:52 PM EDT
What Republicans are saying about Jordan’s first-round loss

Emerging from the floor after Jordan’s failed first vote, some Republicans expressed open frustration while others remained optimistic.

“We gotta wake up and stop this nonsense. There’s real serious work to be done,” Pennsylvania Rep. Dan Meuser said.

Meuser had “direct” and “strong” conversations with GOP colleagues after the vote to try to swing them, he said. “We’ve got to understand — we’ve got to operate as a team, because if we don’t, we will lose everything.”

But he has to contend with members such as Colorado’s Ken Buck, who is staunchly anti-Jordan because of concerns he won’t support Ukraine funding and because of his role in protesting the 2020 election results.

“I am not going to vote for Jim, I just think there’s too much there at this point,” Buck told ABC News. Buck said he feels so strongly “because I just don’t think that we can win the presidential election if we have candidates and leaders in our party who won’t admit that Donald Trump lost, who won’t admit that the Republican Party wants to move forward.”

Of course, Republicans such as Meuser and others argued that not voting in a speaker will also threaten GOP victories in the next election.

“I think it absolutely casts a bad cloud over the institution and Republicans,” New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis told ABC News.

Still others, however, were more optimistic — comparing this process to McCarthy’s and using it to argue that Jordan is on track for success.

“Do you believe that at the end of the day, it’s going to be Speaker Jordan?” ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott asked Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett.

“I do,” he replied.

-ABC’s Cheyenne Haslett

Oct 17, 4:26 PM EDT
GOP infighting continues

Jordan met with Scalise behind closed doors on Tuesday and asked for help to get the needed votes, a source told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott. The source says Scalise wouldn’t commit to helping Jordan.

Scalise was the conference’s first choice for speaker in an internal contest last week, as he defeated Jordan 113-99. But he dropped out days later, amid opposition from holdouts who were backing Jordan.

Of the 20 Republicans who voted against Jordan in the first round, seven voted for Scalise.

Scalise cast his vote for Jordan.

Oct 17, 3:57 PM EDT
Jeffries urges GOP to join Dems in ‘finding a bipartisan path forward’

ABC News asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries if he sees Republicans forging a way out of the speakership impasse today.

“It’s not a complicated situation,” Jeffries responded. “We just need traditional Republicans to break from the extremists and join us in finding a bipartisan path forward. We’ve said it over and over and over again. We are ready, willing and able to get together and reopen the House.”

Oct 17, 3:27 PM EDT
Jordan tells ABC more members will vote for him on 2nd ballot

ABC News caught Jordan moments after he left the House chamber. He made it clear that he’s staying in the race for speaker, insisting there will be another vote tonight.

“We thought we were doing well … that we were in that area or a little more maybe, but we feel confident. We already talked to some members who are going to vote with us on the second ballot,” Jordan said as he rushed into an office.

-ABC’s Rachel Scott, Lauren Peller, Arthur Jones and John Parkinson

Oct 17, 2:49 PM EDT
Jordan’s team says expect another round of votes today

“The House needs a speaker as soon as possible,” Russell Dye, a spokesperson for Jordan, said in a statement. “Expect another round of votes today. It’s time for Republicans to come together.”

The timing of a second vote, however, remains unclear.

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 17, 2:26 PM EDT
McCarthy says Jordan shouldn’t drop out, confident he’ll get the votes

McCarthy, the former speaker, attempted to equate Jordan’s loss to exactly what happened to him.

“Jordan had just as many votes as I had on the first one. I think the difference here is we have rules so we can sit down, talk to the other members and be able to move forward,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy lost 19 Republicans on the first ballot, while Jordan lost 20.

When asked if Jordan should drop out, McCarthy exclaimed: “No! No!”

“I saw the exact same vote that I got when I ran and I became speaker,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy said he’ll talk to Jordan and help in any way he can. When asked if he thinks Jordan will ultimately get the votes, McCarthy said “yes.”

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 17, 2:02 PM EDT
House goes into recess

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, after reading aloud the results of the first ballot, gaveled the chamber into recess.

“A speaker has not been elected,” McHenry said.

There will not be an immediate second vote. Lawmakers are now expected to huddle behind closed doors in conference.

Oct 17, 2:10 PM EDT
The 20 Republicans who voted against Jordan

Twenty House Republicans cast their ballot for someone other than Jordan.

Seven voted for Scalise: Reps. Tony Gonzales of Texas, Kay Granger of Texas, Mario Diaz Balart of Florida, Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, John Rutherford of Florida, Reps. Mike Simpson of Idaho and Steve Womack of Arkansas.

Six voted McCarthy: Reps. Lori Chavez DeRemer of Oregon, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Jennifer Kiggans of Virginia, Mike Lawler of New York and Doug LaMalfa of California.

Three voted for former New York congressman Lee Zeldin: Reps. Anthony D’Espositio, Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota — all members of the New York delegation.

Kansas Rep. Jake Ellzey voted for Mike Garcia of California; Colorado’s Ken Buck voted for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer; Michigan Rep. John James voted for Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole; and Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz voted for Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

Oct 17, 1:56 PM EDT
Jordan loses first round of voting

Jordan lost his first bid for the speakership. He received 200 votes, but needed at least 217 to clinch the gavel.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, nominated by Democrats, received 212 votes. Twenty lawmakers voted for someone else.

Oct 17, 1:33 PM EDT
McCarthy, ousted exactly 2 weeks ago, votes for Jordan

McCarthy, toppled by a small group of GOP hard-liners on Oct. 3, voted for Jordan to be his successor.

The moment was met with applause from the Republican side of the chamber.

But Jordan is still on track to lose on the first ballot, with 15 Republicans casting a vote for someone else.

Oct 17, 1:14 PM EDT
Jordan already falls short of vote needed

The vote is ongoing, but Jordan does not appear to have the support needed to win on the first ballot.

At least five Republicans have voted for someone else.

Two lawmakers, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Rep. Lori Chavez-Deremer of Oregon voted for McCarthy. Anthony D’Esposito voted for former Rep. Lee Zeldin., Rep. Mario Diaz Balart of Florida voted for Steve Scalise. Rep. Jake Ellzey voted for fellow Republican Rep. Mike Garcia.

Oct 17, 1:02 PM EDT
The math behind the speaker vote

There are 432 members in attendance for the upcoming vote to elect a speaker, according to the quorum call.

That means that 217 is the majority threshold needed to win the gavel, presuming every member in attendance votes for someone by name.

Jordan can only afford to lose three votes.

The speaker vote began shortly before 1 p.m.

Oct 17, 1:00 PM EDT
Democrats nominate Hakeem Jeffries, slam Jordan’s record

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., nominated House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.

Aguilar focused much of his remarks on Jordan’s record, noting that one of Jordan’s own colleagues once described him as a “legislative terrorist.”

“When New Yorkers were recovering from Hurricane Sandy and needed Congress to act, he said ‘no,'” Aguilar said. “When wildfires ravaged the west, destroying homes and businesses and those residents needed disaster assistance, he said ‘no.’ When the Mississippi river floods devastated the south in communities across state lines and needed Congress to act, he said ‘no.’ When our veterans were suffering from disease and dying as a result of their service to our country and Congress passed a bipartisan solution, he said ‘no.'”

Democrats seated behind Aguilar responded to each example with the chant, “He said no.”

“This body is talking about elevating a speaker nominee who has not passed a single bill in 16 years,” Aguilar said. “These are not the actions of someone interested in governing or bettering the lives of everyday Americans.”

Oct 17, 12:49 PM EDT
Stefanik nominates Jordan for speaker

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., rose to nominate Jordan for speaker. She received rounding applause from Republicans in the chamber.

“We are at a time of great crisis across America,” Stefanik said. “A time of historic challenges in this very chamber. And a time when heinous acts of terror and evil have been committed against our great ally, Israel.”

Stefanik went on to praise Jordan as a “patriot” and a “winner.”

“He’s an America-first warrior who wins the toughest of fights,” she said. “Going after corruption and delivering accountability at the highest levels of government, on behalf of we the people. Jim is the voice of the American people who have felt voiceless for far too long.”

Oct 17, 12:22 PM EDT
Quorum call is underway

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry opened the chamber at 12:03 p.m., quickly moving the lower chamber into a prayer led by Margaret Grun Kibben.

Following the opening prayer and the pledge of allegiance, the House began a quorum call to establish the members who are present and voting.

Oct 17, 12:14 PM EDT
Jordan ignores questions on 2020 election

Jordan’s actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack have been under scrutiny in his run for speaker.

Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, one Republican holdout, has pointed to Jordan’s past comments about the 2020 election and Jan. 6.

Buck told ABC News on Monday, “I think Jim at some point If he is going to lead this conference … is going to have to be strong and say Donald Trump didn’t win the election, and we need to move forward. Hopefully, you know, for Republicans, we get a Republican candidate in the White House.”

ABC News pushed Jordan on that point ahead of the vote.

“I have been very clear about that,” he responded. “There were states that unconstitutionally changed our election law and that’s what I objected to, as did the vast, vast majority of Republican members of Congress.”

Asked if he would acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 election, Jordan appeared to hear the question but did not respond and got onto the elevator. Two hours later, another reporter asked the same question and Jordan ignored it.

Oct 17, 12:04 PM EDT
Jordan projects confidence

Jordan spent the final hours meeting with GOP holdouts and working the phones ahead of the noon vote. There are still at least 10 holdouts and several members who have not said publicly how they will vote.

“We are going to find out here pretty soon,” Jordan told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott when asked if he has enough support to get elected.

Oct 17, 12:01 PM EDT
House chamber filling up ahead of vote

Minutes before the House opens for business, the gallery of the House chamber is filling up with more than 200 tourists and other visitors to the Capitol as journalists begin to settle into the press galleries and lawmakers arrive on the floor.

Among the first members on the floor is Republican Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, who is using a walker as he recovers from a major operation after sustaining a hip injury farming. Lucas took a seat in the back near the aisle, chatting briefly with Republican Rep. Randy Weber of Texas.

Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, who is rumored to be mulling his own bid for speaker if Jordan fails, is seated at the GOP leadership table. He walked over to the center aisle to talk with Colorado Democrat Joe Neguse.

Michigan Democrat Dan Kildee is seated behind the Democrat leadership table. Neguse is now seated there, chatting with his colleague. Rep. Debbie Dingel of Michigan is also seated on the Democratic side, scrolling through her phone.

Tennessee Republican Andy Ogles is the first of the Freedom Caucus members to stake their usual spot along the center aisle.

Oct 17, 11:55 AM EDT
Timing of the first-round speaker vote

Here’s the timing for what we expect for the first round of speaker votes this afternoon:

The clerk (Kevin McCumber, acting clerk) calls the House of Representatives to order at noon EST.
Prayer led by Margaret Grun Kibben — the first female chaplain of the House.
Pledge of Allegiance led by the House clerk.
Quorum call is ordered by the clerk. Members are called to vote electronically by state. At this point, we will hear the official number of lawmakers present and voting.
Election for speaker with nominations made by selected lawmakers. Typically, one lawmaker from each party is nominated — in this case, Jordan is the Republican nominee and Jeffries is the Democratic nominee. House Republican Conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik will nominate Jordan; House Democratic Caucus chairman Pete Aguilar will nominate Jeffries.
Debate on the nomination of candidates for speaker is allowed but not customary.
“Tellers” are appointed to count “viva voce” voice votes, usually two members from each side of the aisle. A “viva voce” vote is one spoken aloud. The (usually) four tellers take a seat at the dais and tally votes on paper.
Roll is then called by the House reading clerk with members calling out the last name of their chosen speaker; the clerk repeats the choice so everyone hears it. This could take up to one hour.
The House clerk announces the results; appoints an escort committee to formally escort the new Speaker-elect into the chamber.

Oct 17, 10:57 AM EDT
Does Jordan have the votes?

Currently the whole number of the House is 433, with two vacancies that won’t be filled until later this year. Presuming all 433 members vote, Jordan would need 217 votes to be named speaker.

But a whip count from ABC News shows it’s unlikely Jordan, who won the GOP nomination on Friday, has locked down the votes. He can only afford to lose four votes. As of right now, up to 10 Republicans have signaled that they plan to vote for someone other than Jordan on the first ballot. No Democrats are expected to support Jordan’s nomination.

A top aide to Jordan told ABC News that the congressman has “been meeting with members and making calls” this morning ahead of the vote.

Oct 17, 10:54 AM EDT
What to expect

The House will convene at noon today to consider the nomination of Jordan for speaker.

First, a quorum call will be ordered by the clerk for members to establish the official number of lawmakers present and voting.

Then, the election for speaker will take place. Typically, one lawmaker from each party is nominated: Jordan for Republicans and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Democrats. Lawmakers will then have a period of debate before a roll call vote in which each member will be called upon to state who they support for speaker.

If the first round fails, they have to restart this process or the House might recess so members could meet behind closed doors in conference.

Oct 17, 10:55 AM EDT
Who is Jim Jordan?

The Ohio Republican won the GOP nomination for speaker last week.

A conservative firebrand and favorite of former President Donald Trump, Jordan was first elected to Congress in 2006 and in 2015, founded the House Freedom Caucus — a conservative group that supports hard-line stances on government spending, health care, immigration and other issues.

Now, as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jordan is one of the Republicans leading the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and investigations into his son, Hunter.

-ABC’s Sarah Beth Hensley

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Sidney Powell, one of 18 co-defendants in former President Donald Trump’s election interference case in Georgia, is in court Thursday morning taking a plea deal on the RICO case.

She is pleading to six misdemeanor charges, according to the deal read out in court. She will get 12 months of probation for each count, as well as a $6,000 fine.

Story developing…

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden will address to the nation Thursday to update Americans on the U.S. response to the Hamas attacks, the White House said.

The 8 p.m. ET Oval Office speech comes a day after Biden’s high-stakes visit to Israel where he pressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow aid from Egypt into Gaza for Palestinian civilians reeling from Israel airstrikes.

In a rare move, Biden spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One, telling them he had been on the phone with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in “blunt negotiation” and that El-Sisi had agreed to open the closed Rafah crossing gate in southern Gaza to allow up to 20 trucks with aid through.

“I came to get something done — I got it done,” he said.

“They’re going to patch the road — they have to fill in the potholes for the trucks to get through,” he said. “Expect that to take about eight hours tomorrow.So, there may be nothing rolling through … probably until Friday.”

Asked about what he told Israeli officials, Biden said, “I was very blunt about the need to support getting humanitarian aid to Gaza, get it to Gaza and do it quickly.”

He added, “I got no pushback, virtually none. … Let me say it again, I got no pushback.”

“Look, Israel has been badly victimized, but you know, the truth is that if they have an opportunity to relieve suffering of people who are, have nowhere to go, they’re gonna be, it’s what they should do,” Biden said. “And if they don’t, they’ll be held accountable in ways that may be unfair.”

Before he left for Israel, questions were raised about whether making the trip was worth the physical and political risk, something Biden brought up himself Wednesday.

“Let me choose my words here. Not many people thought that we could get this done,” he said, apparently referring to the delivery of aid to Gaza. “And not many people want to be associated with failure.”

“Not many people want to be associated with failure. And there was quite frankly a — a lengthy, lengthy, hour or more discussion about whether to go, because had we gone and this failed then, you know the United States failed, Biden’s presidency failed, et cetera, which would be legitimate criticism,” Biden said.

Saying Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah were in a “tough spot,” Biden continued, “We’re putting all of them in a tough situation, if we didn’t get this done and so. It had to be in my view, we either, either took all the blame or not to put anyone else on the spot, or get it done. And I thought it was worth taking the chance to get it done.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Hundreds of people protesting the Israel-Hamas war on Wednesday occupied one of the buildings in the U.S. Capitol complex and some appeared to be arrested by U.S. Capitol Police.

The demonstrators, organized by a left-wing Jewish group, entered the building at different security entrance points and then assembled in the Cannon House Office Building rotunda, a Capitol Police spokesperson said.

More than 100 people had gathered in the rotunda and were protesting when authorities began to detain them.

Police did not have an immediate estimate on how many protesters who occupied the building were then detained.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — The House is expected to cast second-round votes for the next speaker Wednesday morning after Rep. Jim Jordan failed to win the speakership Tuesday when 20 Republicans voted against him.

Jordan, a conservative firebrand, staunch Donald Trump loyalist and founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, received his party’s nomination last week after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise bowed out of the race.

The Ohio congressman now faces an uphill battle in securing the 217 votes he needs to win the gavel.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Oct 18, 4:53 PM EDT
Next House votes happening Thursday afternoon

Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s office said the House will not take any further votes Wednesday. The next votes are expected Thursday no earlier than 12 p.m., Emmer said.

That means the soonest the next speaker vote could happen would be Thursday afternoon.

Oct 18, 4:16 PM EDT
House will not vote again for speaker on Wednesday, next vote possible Thursday

The House is not expected to take another vote for speaker on Wednesday, sources tell ABC News.

Jordan told reporters that another vote for speaker could come Thursday.

Sources tell ABC News that Jordan has also pushed for a vote on a resolution empowering Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, but it’s unclear if the GOP leadership team will agree to put that on the floor while Jordan is still an active candidate for speaker, and while other Republicans may be waiting in the wings to make a play for the gavel if he exits the race.

-ABC’s Benjamin Siegel

Oct 18, 3:54 PM EDT
Rep. Barr jokes with Capitol tourists: ‘Any of you want to sign up?’

More than two hours have passed and there’s little progress to report with the House still in recess. Still, there was a moment of levity with tourists amid the tense and chaotic speakership battle.

Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., just popped into the chamber and noticed about 20 visitors seated patiently in the gallery and shouted, “We’re looking for a speaker. Any of you want to sign up?”

The crowd laughed and someone shouted a question — asking him whether lawmakers are coming back for another round of votes for speaker.

He said he thought that was the plan and then walked over to the back of the chamber to chat with the visitors.

“Where are you from?” Barr asked, to which several visitors responded they were from South Carolina, Pittsburgh and Virginia.

Barr, who was the only member in the Chamber during this interaction, mingled for a few minutes before excusing himself.

“Thanks for coming,” he said. “Sorry we can’t show you any more right now.”

Oct 18, 3:28 PM EDT
Breaking down Jordan’s performance, GOP defectors

Jordan received one fewer vote in the second round than he did on Tuesday, receiving 199 votes.

Jordan picked up three members, but lost four others.

Seven Republicans voted for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who initially won the party’s nomination for speaker but bowed out of the race last week. They were: Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, Drew Ferguson of Georgia, Tony Gonzales of Texas, Kay Granger of Texas, John Rutherford of Florida, Mike Simpson of Idaho and Steve Womack of Arkansas.

Five voted for McCarthy: Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Lori Chavez DeRemer of Oregon, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Jennifer Kiggans of Virginia and Mike Lawler of New York.

Other Republicans who voted for someone else include Reps Vern Buchanan of Florida, Ken Buck of Ohio, Jake Ellzey of Kansas, Mary Miller-Meeks of Iowa, John James of Michigan, Mike Kelley of Pennsylvania and Pete Stauber of Minnesota.

Oct 18, 3:21 PM EDT
Centrists, institutionalists block Jordan’s path

The 22 Republicans who voted against Jordan make up a group of centrists and institutionalists who show no signs of budging anytime soon.

The group of detractors cited an array of reasons for voting against Jordan, including refusing to reward the lawmakers who voted to oust McCarthy, bristling against the pressure campaign from Jordan’s allies and rising worries over Jordan’s ideological rigidity, including his support for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

“It made us mad, and it backfires,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said Wednesday on Newsmax of the pressure campaign. “Some of the younger folks, maybe that works. But someone like me … you win us over with an argument that makes sense. You’re going to have to convince us. And threatening us does not work.”

Oct 18, 1:39 PM EDT
Jordan suffers 2nd defeat

Jordan has officially lost a second vote in his bid for speaker.

The Ohio Republican received 199 votes. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries received 212 votes. Twenty-two Republicans cast their ballot for someone else.

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry gaveled the House into recess.

3:24
Jim Jordan loses more votes in second round of voting for House speaker

Oct 18, 1:12 PM EDT
GOP likely to meet behind closed doors after vote

Republicans will most likely go into a closed-door conference meeting, which is expected to include discussions about a potential short-term solution, among other things.

A conference meeting hasn’t officially been noticed to Republicans yet, but sources said that’s the next expected step after the vote closes.

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 18, 1:01 PM EDT
Republican opposition to Jordan rises

Jordan is facing even more opposition in this second round, with 22 Republicans so far casting their ballot for someone else.

On Tuesday, he had 20 GOP defectors.

The vote is still ongoing.

Oct 18, 12:26 PM EDT
Jordan on track for another defeat

The vote is ongoing, but already 10 Republicans have voted against Jordan, with that number expected to rise.

Oct 18, 12:18 PM EDT
Second vote for speaker is underway

A roll call vote is now underway.

Each member is being called on alphabetically to voice who they want to see succeed McCarthy. Jordan can only afford to lose four House Republicans before a fifth upsets his bid.

Oct 18, 12:51 PM EDT
Rep. Tom Cole nominates Jordan for speaker

Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole stood to nominate Jordan for the second ballot vote, saying he has what it takes to be speaker.

“He doesn’t dissemble. He simply tells you straight up, ‘this is what I believe,’ ‘this is why I think it’s the right thing to do for this country and that’s why I’m going to try to accomplish and work with you any way I can to do it,'” Cole said.

Cole commended Jordan’s work on committees and his stances on spending, immigration and more.

Cole also invoked the terror attacks in Israel, stating Israel is within its right to punish Hamas, which received a standing ovation from Republicans and Democrats.

“In a moment of crisis, and we are in a moment of crisis, we should come together to act,” Cole said. “And we know we can’t do that without a speaker of the House.”

Democrats once again nominated Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.

Oct 18, 11:44 AM EDT
Jordan: ‘We got to decide today’ on path forward

Jordan told reporters the American people deserve to have an answer today on what lies ahead.

“Look, I think we got to decide today. Are we going to have a Republican speaker … or is the body going to adopt this resolution with the speaker pro tempore?” Jordan said, referencing an effort to empower Rep. Patrick McHenry to conduct House business.

“I think both questions should be called,” Jordan said. “Let’s get an answer. We’ve been at this two weeks, the American people deserve to have their government functioning.”

Oct 18, 11:14 AM EDT
Republicans poised to reject Jordan on second ballot

Jordan is poised to lose Wednesday on a second ballot on the election of a speaker, but the Ohio Republican is showing no signs of giving up.

While Jordan has continued to attempt to sway holdout Republicans, only Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California has announced a change of heart following the first ballot. LaMalfa had initially voted for his fellow Californian, McCarthy — and now says he’ll support Jordan instead of the former speaker on the second ballot.

But the 19 other Republicans who bucked Jordan in the first round have not publicly shifted their stance yet, and Jordan is actually expected to lose additional lawmakers on the second ballot.

Oct 18, 10:19 AM EDT
Jordan could lose more Republicans on second ballot

A few Republican holdouts are reluctant to even take another meeting with Jordan or return his phone calls ahead of the second ballot set for Wednesday morning, sources tell ABC News.

By forcing another vote, Jordan runs the risk of losing even more Republicans on the second ballot. It’s unclear just how many gave him assurances that they’d only support him on the first round.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that talks between Democrats and Republicans have accelerated on an alternative plan to get the House back to business. Sources say Jeffries floated the idea of elevating a temporary speaker for a limited time so the House can do its work — a signal that a growing number of Democrats could support this plan.

Most Republicans expect the opposition against Jordan to grow Wednesday.

Oct 18, 9:42 AM EDT
If Jordan’s can’t win, one Republican wants to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry

Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, one of the few remaining moderates in the GOP majority, could bring up a motion to empower temporary speaker Patrick McHenry if Jordan can’t lock down the votes for speaker on the second ballot Wednesday morning.

“After two weeks without a Speaker of the House and no clear candidate with 217 votes in the Republican conference, it is time to look at other viable options. By empowering Patrick McHenry as Speaker Pro Tempore we can take care of our ally Israel until a new Speaker is elected,” Joyce said in a statement.

By officially “empowering” McHenry, Republicans could give themselves a (temporary) off ramp to approve emergency aid to Israel and to fund the government to avert a shutdown next month.

It’s not clear how long Joyce is proposing to empower McHenry, or if Republicans will allow Joyce to do so, instead of letting others run for speaker if Jordan falls short. It’s likely Democrats would need to back the proposal on the House floor, too.

McHenry and his team have suggested he isn’t interested in the role.

Oct 17, 5:21 PM EDT
Next speaker vote expected Wednesday morning

The next speaker vote will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jordan said after he left a two-hour meeting in Whip Emmer’s office.

He reiterated that he is not going to drop out of the speaker battle and emphasized that he had basically the same level of support as McCarthy on his first vote in January.

Jordan said he expects to gain support in a Wednesday morning vote, mentioning Florida Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who missed today’s vote because of a family funeral. He didn’t address potential future defectors.

Oct 17, 4:52 PM EDT
What Republicans are saying about Jordan’s first-round loss

Emerging from the floor after Jordan’s failed first vote, some Republicans expressed open frustration while others remained optimistic.

“We gotta wake up and stop this nonsense. There’s real serious work to be done,” Pennsylvania Rep. Dan Meuser said.

Meuser had “direct” and “strong” conversations with GOP colleagues after the vote to try to swing them, he said. “We’ve got to understand — we’ve got to operate as a team, because if we don’t, we will lose everything.”

But he has to contend with members such as Colorado’s Ken Buck, who is staunchly anti-Jordan because of concerns he won’t support Ukraine funding and because of his role in protesting the 2020 election results.

“I am not going to vote for Jim, I just think there’s too much there at this point,” Buck told ABC News. Buck said he feels so strongly “because I just don’t think that we can win the presidential election if we have candidates and leaders in our party who won’t admit that Donald Trump lost, who won’t admit that the Republican Party wants to move forward.”

Of course, Republicans such as Meuser and others argued that not voting in a speaker will also threaten GOP victories in the next election.

“I think it absolutely casts a bad cloud over the institution and Republicans,” New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis told ABC News.

Still others, however, were more optimistic — comparing this process to McCarthy’s and using it to argue that Jordan is on track for success.

“Do you believe that at the end of the day, it’s going to be Speaker Jordan?” ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott asked Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett.

“I do,” he replied.

-ABC’s Cheyenne Haslett

Oct 17, 4:26 PM EDT
GOP infighting continues

Jordan met with Scalise behind closed doors on Tuesday and asked for help to get the needed votes, a source told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott. The source says Scalise wouldn’t commit to helping Jordan.

Scalise was the conference’s first choice for speaker in an internal contest last week, as he defeated Jordan 113-99. But he dropped out days later, amid opposition from holdouts who were backing Jordan.

Of the 20 Republicans who voted against Jordan in the first round, seven voted for Scalise.

Scalise cast his vote for Jordan.

Oct 17, 3:57 PM EDT
Jeffries urges GOP to join Dems in ‘finding a bipartisan path forward’

ABC News asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries if he sees Republicans forging a way out of the speakership impasse today.

“It’s not a complicated situation,” Jeffries responded. “We just need traditional Republicans to break from the extremists and join us in finding a bipartisan path forward. We’ve said it over and over and over again. We are ready, willing and able to get together and reopen the House.”

Oct 17, 3:27 PM EDT
Jordan tells ABC more members will vote for him on 2nd ballot

ABC News caught Jordan moments after he left the House chamber. He made it clear that he’s staying in the race for speaker, insisting there will be another vote tonight.

“We thought we were doing well … that we were in that area or a little more maybe, but we feel confident. We already talked to some members who are going to vote with us on the second ballot,” Jordan said as he rushed into an office.

-ABC’s Rachel Scott, Lauren Peller, Arthur Jones and John Parkinson

Oct 17, 2:49 PM EDT
Jordan’s team says expect another round of votes today

“The House needs a speaker as soon as possible,” Russell Dye, a spokesperson for Jordan, said in a statement. “Expect another round of votes today. It’s time for Republicans to come together.”

The timing of a second vote, however, remains unclear.

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 17, 2:26 PM EDT
McCarthy says Jordan shouldn’t drop out, confident he’ll get the votes

McCarthy, the former speaker, attempted to equate Jordan’s loss to exactly what happened to him.

“Jordan had just as many votes as I had on the first one. I think the difference here is we have rules so we can sit down, talk to the other members and be able to move forward,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy lost 19 Republicans on the first ballot, while Jordan lost 20.

When asked if Jordan should drop out, McCarthy exclaimed: “No! No!”

“I saw the exact same vote that I got when I ran and I became speaker,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy said he’ll talk to Jordan and help in any way he can. When asked if he thinks Jordan will ultimately get the votes, McCarthy said “yes.”

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 17, 2:02 PM EDT
House goes into recess

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, after reading aloud the results of the first ballot, gaveled the chamber into recess.

“A speaker has not been elected,” McHenry said.

There will not be an immediate second vote. Lawmakers are now expected to huddle behind closed doors in conference.

Oct 17, 2:10 PM EDT
The 20 Republicans who voted against Jordan

Twenty House Republicans cast their ballot for someone other than Jordan.

Seven voted for Scalise: Reps. Tony Gonzales of Texas, Kay Granger of Texas, Mario Diaz Balart of Florida, Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, John Rutherford of Florida, Reps. Mike Simpson of Idaho and Steve Womack of Arkansas.

Six voted McCarthy: Reps. Lori Chavez DeRemer of Oregon, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Jennifer Kiggans of Virginia, Mike Lawler of New York and Doug LaMalfa of California.

Three voted for former New York congressman Lee Zeldin: Reps. Anthony D’Espositio, Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota — all members of the New York delegation.

Kansas Rep. Jake Ellzey voted for Mike Garcia of California; Colorado’s Ken Buck voted for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer; Michigan Rep. John James voted for Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole; and Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz voted for Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

Oct 17, 1:56 PM EDT
Jordan loses first round of voting

Jordan lost his first bid for the speakership. He received 200 votes, but needed at least 217 to clinch the gavel.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, nominated by Democrats, received 212 votes. Twenty lawmakers voted for someone else.

Oct 17, 1:33 PM EDT
McCarthy, ousted exactly 2 weeks ago, votes for Jordan

McCarthy, toppled by a small group of GOP hard-liners on Oct. 3, voted for Jordan to be his successor.

The moment was met with applause from the Republican side of the chamber.

But Jordan is still on track to lose on the first ballot, with 15 Republicans casting a vote for someone else.

Oct 17, 1:14 PM EDT
Jordan already falls short of vote needed

The vote is ongoing, but Jordan does not appear to have the support needed to win on the first ballot.

At least five Republicans have voted for someone else.

Two lawmakers, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Rep. Lori Chavez-Deremer of Oregon voted for McCarthy. Anthony D’Esposito voted for former Rep. Lee Zeldin., Rep. Mario Diaz Balart of Florida voted for Steve Scalise. Rep. Jake Ellzey voted for fellow Republican Rep. Mike Garcia.

Oct 17, 1:02 PM EDT
The math behind the speaker vote

There are 432 members in attendance for the upcoming vote to elect a speaker, according to the quorum call.

That means that 217 is the majority threshold needed to win the gavel, presuming every member in attendance votes for someone by name.

Jordan can only afford to lose three votes.

The speaker vote began shortly before 1 p.m.

Oct 17, 1:00 PM EDT
Democrats nominate Hakeem Jeffries, slam Jordan’s record

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., nominated House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.

Aguilar focused much of his remarks on Jordan’s record, noting that one of Jordan’s own colleagues once described him as a “legislative terrorist.”

“When New Yorkers were recovering from Hurricane Sandy and needed Congress to act, he said ‘no,'” Aguilar said. “When wildfires ravaged the west, destroying homes and businesses and those residents needed disaster assistance, he said ‘no.’ When the Mississippi river floods devastated the south in communities across state lines and needed Congress to act, he said ‘no.’ When our veterans were suffering from disease and dying as a result of their service to our country and Congress passed a bipartisan solution, he said ‘no.'”

Democrats seated behind Aguilar responded to each example with the chant, “He said no.”

“This body is talking about elevating a speaker nominee who has not passed a single bill in 16 years,” Aguilar said. “These are not the actions of someone interested in governing or bettering the lives of everyday Americans.”

Oct 17, 12:49 PM EDT
Stefanik nominates Jordan for speaker

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., rose to nominate Jordan for speaker. She received rounding applause from Republicans in the chamber.

“We are at a time of great crisis across America,” Stefanik said. “A time of historic challenges in this very chamber. And a time when heinous acts of terror and evil have been committed against our great ally, Israel.”

Stefanik went on to praise Jordan as a “patriot” and a “winner.”

“He’s an America-first warrior who wins the toughest of fights,” she said. “Going after corruption and delivering accountability at the highest levels of government, on behalf of we the people. Jim is the voice of the American people who have felt voiceless for far too long.”

Oct 17, 12:22 PM EDT
Quorum call is underway

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry opened the chamber at 12:03 p.m., quickly moving the lower chamber into a prayer led by Margaret Grun Kibben.

Following the opening prayer and the pledge of allegiance, the House began a quorum call to establish the members who are present and voting.

Oct 17, 12:14 PM EDT
Jordan ignores questions on 2020 election

Jordan’s actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack have been under scrutiny in his run for speaker.

Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, one Republican holdout, has pointed to Jordan’s past comments about the 2020 election and Jan. 6.

Buck told ABC News on Monday, “I think Jim at some point If he is going to lead this conference … is going to have to be strong and say Donald Trump didn’t win the election, and we need to move forward. Hopefully, you know, for Republicans, we get a Republican candidate in the White House.”

ABC News pushed Jordan on that point ahead of the vote.

“I have been very clear about that,” he responded. “There were states that unconstitutionally changed our election law and that’s what I objected to, as did the vast, vast majority of Republican members of Congress.”

Asked if he would acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 election, Jordan appeared to hear the question but did not respond and got onto the elevator. Two hours later, another reporter asked the same question and Jordan ignored it.

Oct 17, 12:04 PM EDT
Jordan projects confidence

Jordan spent the final hours meeting with GOP holdouts and working the phones ahead of the noon vote. There are still at least 10 holdouts and several members who have not said publicly how they will vote.

“We are going to find out here pretty soon,” Jordan told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott when asked if he has enough support to get elected.

Oct 17, 12:01 PM EDT
House chamber filling up ahead of vote

Minutes before the House opens for business, the gallery of the House chamber is filling up with more than 200 tourists and other visitors to the Capitol as journalists begin to settle into the press galleries and lawmakers arrive on the floor.

Among the first members on the floor is Republican Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, who is using a walker as he recovers from a major operation after sustaining a hip injury farming. Lucas took a seat in the back near the aisle, chatting briefly with Republican Rep. Randy Weber of Texas.

Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, who is rumored to be mulling his own bid for speaker if Jordan fails, is seated at the GOP leadership table. He walked over to the center aisle to talk with Colorado Democrat Joe Neguse.

Michigan Democrat Dan Kildee is seated behind the Democrat leadership table. Neguse is now seated there, chatting with his colleague. Rep. Debbie Dingel of Michigan is also seated on the Democratic side, scrolling through her phone.

Tennessee Republican Andy Ogles is the first of the Freedom Caucus members to stake their usual spot along the center aisle.

Oct 17, 11:55 AM EDT
Timing of the first-round speaker vote

Here’s the timing for what we expect for the first round of speaker votes this afternoon:

The clerk (Kevin McCumber, acting clerk) calls the House of Representatives to order at noon EST.
Prayer led by Margaret Grun Kibben — the first female chaplain of the House.
Pledge of Allegiance led by the House clerk.
Quorum call is ordered by the clerk. Members are called to vote electronically by state. At this point, we will hear the official number of lawmakers present and voting.
Election for speaker with nominations made by selected lawmakers. Typically, one lawmaker from each party is nominated — in this case, Jordan is the Republican nominee and Jeffries is the Democratic nominee. House Republican Conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik will nominate Jordan; House Democratic Caucus chairman Pete Aguilar will nominate Jeffries.
Debate on the nomination of candidates for speaker is allowed but not customary.
“Tellers” are appointed to count “viva voce” voice votes, usually two members from each side of the aisle. A “viva voce” vote is one spoken aloud. The (usually) four tellers take a seat at the dais and tally votes on paper.
Roll is then called by the House reading clerk with members calling out the last name of their chosen speaker; the clerk repeats the choice so everyone hears it. This could take up to one hour.
The House clerk announces the results; appoints an escort committee to formally escort the new Speaker-elect into the chamber.

Oct 17, 10:57 AM EDT
Does Jordan have the votes?

Currently the whole number of the House is 433, with two vacancies that won’t be filled until later this year. Presuming all 433 members vote, Jordan would need 217 votes to be named speaker.

But a whip count from ABC News shows it’s unlikely Jordan, who won the GOP nomination on Friday, has locked down the votes. He can only afford to lose four votes. As of right now, up to 10 Republicans have signaled that they plan to vote for someone other than Jordan on the first ballot. No Democrats are expected to support Jordan’s nomination.

A top aide to Jordan told ABC News that the congressman has “been meeting with members and making calls” this morning ahead of the vote.

Oct 17, 10:54 AM EDT
What to expect

The House will convene at noon today to consider the nomination of Jordan for speaker.

First, a quorum call will be ordered by the clerk for members to establish the official number of lawmakers present and voting.

Then, the election for speaker will take place. Typically, one lawmaker from each party is nominated: Jordan for Republicans and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Democrats. Lawmakers will then have a period of debate before a roll call vote in which each member will be called upon to state who they support for speaker.

If the first round fails, they have to restart this process or the House might recess so members could meet behind closed doors in conference.

Oct 17, 10:55 AM EDT
Who is Jim Jordan?

The Ohio Republican won the GOP nomination for speaker last week.

A conservative firebrand and favorite of former President Donald Trump, Jordan was first elected to Congress in 2006 and in 2015, founded the House Freedom Caucus — a conservative group that supports hard-line stances on government spending, health care, immigration and other issues.

Now, as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jordan is one of the Republicans leading the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and investigations into his son, Hunter.

-ABC’s Sarah Beth Hensley

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — While senators on both side of the aisle are eager to confirm a nominee to serve as ambassador to Israel, Senate Republicans on the Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday questioned whether President Joe Biden’s nominee to fill the vacant post, Jack Lew, is the right man for the job at a critical moment for the Middle East amid Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel.

Chairman Ben Cardin urged his colleagues to expeditiously confirm Lew following the departure of Tom Nides in July.

“Now is not the time to play political games,” Cardin said.

While Ranking Member James Risch, R-Idaho, acknowledged that it was important to “support Israel by filling a vacancy in the position for ambassador to Israel,” Risch previewed concerns he had with Lew as a replacement.

“I agree with you: we need this thing filled,” Risch told Cardin in his opening remarks. “The problem I have is it needs to be filled with the right person. The only thing worse than having it empty would be having the wrong person there, and I have some issues in that regard, which we’re going to talk about.”

Throughout his hearing, Lew tried to fend off multiple GOP allegations that while acting as Treasury secretary, he was complicit in trying to bend the rules to allow Iran access to U.S. financial systems following the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran nuclear deal, despite promising the opposite to Congress. Those allegations were first borne out in a 2018 Republican-led report by the Senate Homeland Security Committee’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that found that Lew had issued specific licenses to allow Iran to convert some of its funds through the U.S. financial system. On Feb. 24, 2016, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, an agency of the Treasury Department, issued a specific license to Bank Muscat authorizing Iranian assets worth roughly $5.7 billion to flow through the U.S. financial system that would expire in February 2017, according to the report. Lew had testified before Congress in the past that Iran would have no such access. During his questioning, Risch cited the report to accuse Lew of enabling Iran.

“What I can tell you is the government of Iran believed that we did not give them what they expected, which was full access to the world financial system. They complained that my actions were what kept them from getting full access to the world financial system. … We did the letter of the agreement [and] gave them what was agreed to in the JCPOA, nothing more,” Lew replied.

“I have to tell you that this is something we knew nothing about at the time that you issued that license, and we believe that that was a direct contravention of what you told us here in this committee in July of 2015, and to be honest with you, I am deeply disappointed with that. … Holding hands with Iran under the table doesn’t work for me, and I’m deeply disappointed that you issued that license,” Risch said.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., read a quote from a 2017 letter Lew wrote that said, “To be clear, the U.S. Department of the Treasury is not working on behalf of Iran to enable Iranian access to U.S. dollars elsewhere in the international financial system, nor are we assisting Iran in gaining access to dollar payment systems outside the U.S. financial system. The administration has not been and is not planning to grant Iran access to the U.S. financial system.”

“So basically, the way I would describe this is your testimony is you were not providing them access to the U.S. financial system. You were then issued a special license, which is not published — maybe no one was supposed to find out about it — to help them gain access to the U.S. financial system, then asked two banks to help convert the funds. They chose not to do so … and then when we write you about it, not once, but twice, you deny or mislead that any of this was happening,” Rubio said.

“This was not a partisan report,” Rubio noted, adding that Lew “deliberately, in my view, misled me … on what was happening behind the scenes with regards to all this.”

“I don’t think the facts are exactly the way you described them, and I think it’s important to distinguish between the technical details to facilitate implementation of JCPOA and more broadly welcoming Iran into the U.S. financial community. We didn’t, and I took no actions that would do that.”

Lew told Rubio he had “banks and governments coming to [him] saying, ‘We want you to do’ exactly what [Rubio] described.”

“We didn’t do that,” Lew said. “What we did was we said exactly what I said in response to the ranking member. We told them what sanctions were lifted, what sanctions remained in place and we told them to be careful, and Iran got from that the message that we were telling people not to do business with them. That’s why they sanctioned me.”

Some Democrats took issue with Republicans’ descriptions of Lew’s character.

“To challenge your character, to say that you lied when you didn’t, to characterize a partisan report as a ‘bipartisan report’ when it wasn’t is unfair to you,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.

Early stages of the hearing included three separate outbursts from pro-Palestinian protestors who we escorted from the room after interrupting proceedings.

Within moments of Lew’s confirmation hearing beginning, a protester in the room interrupted Cardin’s comments by calling for a ceasefire in the region.

Following Cardin’s warning about “political games,” the protester stood up and seemed to respond: “Now is not the time to play political games! How many more bombs need to be dropped on Gaza?”

“How many more children need to be killed. Our families are dying. We need a cease fire now,” the man said. He held up a sign that read “Ceasefire now.”

Moments later, a separate protester stood up and shouted “You need to stop the genocide in Palestine. Palestine needs its freedom.”

Multiple Senate Democrats spoke on the importance of urging Israel to take a humanitarian approach to rooting out Hamas.

“Hamas started this horrible war against civilians, but all Palestinians are not Hamas, all Gazans are not Hamas, and a broader humanitarian challenge in Gaza will serve not Israels interests, will be devastating to Palestinians, will not serve the region’s interests,” Sen. Tim Kaine said. “We need to do all we can to our ally Israel to take the fight to the perpetrator.”

Lew agreed that a humanitarian approach is the right one but emphasized that Biden has noted Israel’s right to self-defense, and acknowledged that some civilian loss could occur.

“I don’t think the standard can be that it gets to zero,” Lew said.

Israel has suffered at least 1,400 deaths since Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, according to the Israeli Health Ministry. There have been at least 3,478 deaths in Gaza during the same period, per the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The Senate Foreign Relations committee will hold a vote next on whether to advance Lew’s nomination to the Senate floor. If all Democrats stick together, there’s nothing Senate Republicans can do to prevent Lew from ultimately being confirmed to the post.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Moderate House Republicans and institutionalists coalesced this week as the key opposition to Rep. Jim Jordan’s ascent to speaker. It’s the latest twist to what has become a weekslong fight among conservatives over who will lead the chamber and lift the paralysis over half of Congress.

The dynamic confronting Jordan, the House Judiciary Committee chair who built a national profile as a hard-liner and firebrand, marks the reverse of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s plight, when a small group of Republicans — some of whom are close allies of Jordan — voted to take away his gavel earlier this month, even as Jordan and others continued to urge support for McCarthy.

Since then, the House hasn’t had a speaker.

Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., is serving in an interim role as a succession of Republican leaders have been chosen as the potential next speaker — all unsuccessfully. Jordan has lost two votes so far, including on Wednesday morning when 22 other GOP members voted against him.

Several of the anti-Jordan lawmakers, who have more centrist voting records or establishment bona fides, have voiced repeated frustrations over his speakership bid, voicing concerns about elevating Jordan given his past, including his baseless attacks on the 2020 presidential election results and his roles in past government shutdowns over policy objections.

Jordan critics have also highlighted what they call a pressure campaign by his supporters inside and outside Capitol Hill to try and get them to change their minds.

“This has got ‘House of Cards’ stuff written all over and I think the American people are tired of watching this fiasco unfold,” Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., said on Monday before voting against Jordan twice between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Many of the Jordan detractors have also lambasted the move to oust McCarthy by a handful of renegades led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. Those critics said choosing someone like Jordan, a founding member of the uncompromising House Freedom Caucus, would set a bad precedent in terms of being able to govern the whole conference.

That frustration was compounded after Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., fell short in his own bid to replace McCarthy. House Republicans had narrowly voted 113-99 in a private ballot last week to nominate Scalise over Jordan, but it quickly became clear Scalise wouldn’t be able to win over enough other Republicans to clinch the 217 votes he’d need on the House floor.

Speaking with reporters after withdrawing his speakership bid, Scalise suggested that “there are still some people that have their own agendas.”

Republican Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon, who has twice voted against Jordan, told reporters on Tuesday that he “can’t get past the fact that a small group in our conference violated the rules to get rid of Kevin, and then blocked Steve.”

“You don’t have a process where I play by the rules and these other people can’t, and they get what they want. That’s not America,” Bacon said.

He has also said he and others were turned off Jordan after the Ohioan’s allies, both lawmakers and figures in the media like Fox News’ Sean Hannity, were perceived as attempting to strong-arm those against Jordan into voting for him. Those efforts reportedly went as far as to target lawmakers’ family members: Bacon told reporters that his wife had received texts about the speakership vote.

“It made us mad, and it backfires,” Bacon said Wednesday on Newsmax. “Some of the younger folks, maybe that works. But someone like me … you win us over with an argument that makes sense. You’re going to have to convince us. And threatening us does not work.”

Some of the Jordan skeptics represent swing districts, such as areas where President Joe Biden won in 2020 and where support for Jordan could be anathema to the more centrist electorate they represent — though that opposition could also engender a primary from other Republicans that could put them at risk as well.

Texas Rep. Kay Granger, the Republican chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, in a statement after Wednesday’s vote appeared to contrast Jordan with Scalise, whom she called an “honorable man.”

Granger twice voted for Scalise rather than Jordan in the speaker votes so far.

“Intimidation and threats will not change my position,” she said on Wednesday.

Other detractors said their opposition was fueled by ideology.

Jordan recently opposed boosting aid to Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion, which is a bipartisan priority of much of Washington but is opposed by some conservatives who say the money would be better spent at home. Jordan was also a vocal advocate for former President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud and a chief proponent of voting against certifying the 2020 Electoral College results in 2021.

“Jim at some point, if he’s going to lead this conference, during the presidential election cycle, and particularly a presidential election year, with primaries and caucuses around the country, is going to have to be strong and say Donald Trump didn’t win the election,” Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., another member of the House Freedom Caucus, told ABC News on Monday. Buck has also voted against Jordan.

Despite that continued opposition, Jordan has flipped several members, including Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., who went form a “hell no” to supportive after having what she said were positive conversations with him.

“Jim Jordan is our conference nominee, and I will support his nomination for Speaker on the House floor,” she said in a statement early Monday, when optimism appeared high among Jordan’s supporters.

Jordan has insisted he plans on continuing his campaign.

“We’re going to keep working, and we’re going to get to the votes,” he told reporters Tuesday.

Still, the inability to elect a speaker — and thus move any legislation in the chamber, including bills on funding the government to prevent another shutdown — is sparking concern among Republicans.

Republicans may go into a closed-door conference meeting on Wednesday in the wake of Jordan’s second failed speaker vote, sources told ABC News.

“After two weeks without a Speaker of the House and no clear candidate with 217 votes in the Republican conference, it is time to look at other viable options,” Rep. David Joyce, R-Ohio, who voted for Jordan on Tuesday and Wednesday, said in a statement Wednesday morning. “By empowering Patrick McHenry as Speaker Pro Tempore we can take care of our ally Israel until a new Speaker is elected.”

ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and John Parkinson contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — The House is expected to cast second-round votes for the next speaker Wednesday morning after Rep. Jim Jordan failed to win the speakership Tuesday when 20 Republicans voted against him.

Jordan, a conservative firebrand, staunch Donald Trump loyalist and founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, received his party’s nomination last week after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise bowed out of the race.

The Ohio congressman now faces an uphill battle in securing the 217 votes he needs to win the gavel.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Oct 18, 3:54 PM EDT
Rep. Barr jokes with Capitol tourists: ‘Any of you want to sign up?’

More than two hours have passed and there’s little progress to report with the House still in recess. Still, there was a moment of levity with tourists amid the tense and chaotic speakership battle.

Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., just popped into the chamber and noticed about 20 visitors seated patiently in the gallery and shouted, “We’re looking for a speaker. Any of you want to sign up?”

The crowd laughed and someone shouted a question — asking him whether lawmakers are coming back for another round of votes for speaker.

He said he thought that was the plan and then walked over to the back of the chamber to chat with the visitors.

“Where are you from?” Barr asked, to which several visitors responded they were from South Carolina, Pittsburgh and Virginia.

Barr, who was the only member in the Chamber during this interaction, mingled for a few minutes before excusing himself.

“Thanks for coming,” he said. “Sorry we can’t show you any more right now.”

Oct 18, 3:28 PM EDT
Breaking down Jordan’s performance, GOP defectors

Jordan received one fewer vote in the second round than he did on Tuesday, receiving 199 votes.

Jordan picked up three members, but lost four others.

Seven Republicans voted for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who initially won the party’s nomination for speaker but bowed out of the race last week. They were: Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, Drew Ferguson of Georgia, Tony Gonzales of Texas, Kay Granger of Texas, John Rutherford of Florida, Mike Simpson of Idaho and Steve Womack of Arkansas.

Five voted for McCarthy: Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Lori Chavez DeRemer of Oregon, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Jennifer Kiggans of Virginia and Mike Lawler of New York.

Other Republicans who voted for someone else include Reps Vern Buchanan of Florida, Ken Buck of Ohio, Jake Ellzey of Kansas, Mary Miller-Meeks of Iowa, John James of Michigan, Mike Kelley of Pennsylvania and Pete Stauber of Minnesota.

Oct 18, 3:21 PM EDT
Centrists, institutionalists block Jordan’s path

The 22 Republicans who voted against Jordan make up a group of centrists and institutionalists who show no signs of budging anytime soon.

The group of detractors cited an array of reasons for voting against Jordan, including refusing to reward the lawmakers who voted to oust McCarthy, bristling against the pressure campaign from Jordan’s allies and rising worries over Jordan’s ideological rigidity, including his support for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

“It made us mad, and it backfires,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said Wednesday on Newsmax of the pressure campaign. “Some of the younger folks, maybe that works. But someone like me … you win us over with an argument that makes sense. You’re going to have to convince us. And threatening us does not work.”

Oct 18, 1:39 PM EDT
Jordan suffers 2nd defeat

Jordan has officially lost a second vote in his bid for speaker.

The Ohio Republican received 199 votes. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries received 212 votes. Twenty-two Republicans cast their ballot for someone else.

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry gaveled the House into recess.

3:24
Jim Jordan loses more votes in second round of voting for House speaker

Oct 18, 1:12 PM EDT
GOP likely to meet behind closed doors after vote

Republicans will most likely go into a closed-door conference meeting, which is expected to include discussions about a potential short-term solution, among other things.

A conference meeting hasn’t officially been noticed to Republicans yet, but sources said that’s the next expected step after the vote closes.

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 18, 1:01 PM EDT
Republican opposition to Jordan rises

Jordan is facing even more opposition in this second round, with 22 Republicans so far casting their ballot for someone else.

On Tuesday, he had 20 GOP defectors.

The vote is still ongoing.

Oct 18, 12:26 PM EDT
Jordan on track for another defeat

The vote is ongoing, but already 10 Republicans have voted against Jordan, with that number expected to rise.

Oct 18, 12:18 PM EDT
Second vote for speaker is underway

A roll call vote is now underway.

Each member is being called on alphabetically to voice who they want to see succeed McCarthy. Jordan can only afford to lose four House Republicans before a fifth upsets his bid.

Oct 18, 12:51 PM EDT
Rep. Tom Cole nominates Jordan for speaker

Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole stood to nominate Jordan for the second ballot vote, saying he has what it takes to be speaker.

“He doesn’t dissemble. He simply tells you straight up, ‘this is what I believe,’ ‘this is why I think it’s the right thing to do for this country and that’s why I’m going to try to accomplish and work with you any way I can to do it,'” Cole said.

Cole commended Jordan’s work on committees and his stances on spending, immigration and more.

Cole also invoked the terror attacks in Israel, stating Israel is within its right to punish Hamas, which received a standing ovation from Republicans and Democrats.

“In a moment of crisis, and we are in a moment of crisis, we should come together to act,” Cole said. “And we know we can’t do that without a speaker of the House.”

Democrats once again nominated Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.

Oct 18, 11:44 AM EDT
Jordan: ‘We got to decide today’ on path forward

Jordan told reporters the American people deserve to have an answer today on what lies ahead.

“Look, I think we got to decide today. Are we going to have a Republican speaker … or is the body going to adopt this resolution with the speaker pro tempore?” Jordan said, referencing an effort to empower Rep. Patrick McHenry to conduct House business.

“I think both questions should be called,” Jordan said. “Let’s get an answer. We’ve been at this two weeks, the American people deserve to have their government functioning.”

Oct 18, 11:14 AM EDT
Republicans poised to reject Jordan on second ballot

Jordan is poised to lose Wednesday on a second ballot on the election of a speaker, but the Ohio Republican is showing no signs of giving up.

While Jordan has continued to attempt to sway holdout Republicans, only Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California has announced a change of heart following the first ballot. LaMalfa had initially voted for his fellow Californian, McCarthy — and now says he’ll support Jordan instead of the former speaker on the second ballot.

But the 19 other Republicans who bucked Jordan in the first round have not publicly shifted their stance yet, and Jordan is actually expected to lose additional lawmakers on the second ballot.

Oct 18, 10:19 AM EDT
Jordan could lose more Republicans on second ballot

A few Republican holdouts are reluctant to even take another meeting with Jordan or return his phone calls ahead of the second ballot set for Wednesday morning, sources tell ABC News.

By forcing another vote, Jordan runs the risk of losing even more Republicans on the second ballot. It’s unclear just how many gave him assurances that they’d only support him on the first round.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that talks between Democrats and Republicans have accelerated on an alternative plan to get the House back to business. Sources say Jeffries floated the idea of elevating a temporary speaker for a limited time so the House can do its work — a signal that a growing number of Democrats could support this plan.

Most Republicans expect the opposition against Jordan to grow Wednesday.

Oct 18, 9:42 AM EDT
If Jordan’s can’t win, one Republican wants to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry

Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, one of the few remaining moderates in the GOP majority, could bring up a motion to empower temporary speaker Patrick McHenry if Jordan can’t lock down the votes for speaker on the second ballot Wednesday morning.

“After two weeks without a Speaker of the House and no clear candidate with 217 votes in the Republican conference, it is time to look at other viable options. By empowering Patrick McHenry as Speaker Pro Tempore we can take care of our ally Israel until a new Speaker is elected,” Joyce said in a statement.

By officially “empowering” McHenry, Republicans could give themselves a (temporary) off ramp to approve emergency aid to Israel and to fund the government to avert a shutdown next month.

It’s not clear how long Joyce is proposing to empower McHenry, or if Republicans will allow Joyce to do so, instead of letting others run for speaker if Jordan falls short. It’s likely Democrats would need to back the proposal on the House floor, too.

McHenry and his team have suggested he isn’t interested in the role.

Oct 17, 5:21 PM EDT
Next speaker vote expected Wednesday morning

The next speaker vote will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jordan said after he left a two-hour meeting in Whip Emmer’s office.

He reiterated that he is not going to drop out of the speaker battle and emphasized that he had basically the same level of support as McCarthy on his first vote in January.

Jordan said he expects to gain support in a Wednesday morning vote, mentioning Florida Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who missed today’s vote because of a family funeral. He didn’t address potential future defectors.

Oct 17, 4:52 PM EDT
What Republicans are saying about Jordan’s first-round loss

Emerging from the floor after Jordan’s failed first vote, some Republicans expressed open frustration while others remained optimistic.

“We gotta wake up and stop this nonsense. There’s real serious work to be done,” Pennsylvania Rep. Dan Meuser said.

Meuser had “direct” and “strong” conversations with GOP colleagues after the vote to try to swing them, he said. “We’ve got to understand — we’ve got to operate as a team, because if we don’t, we will lose everything.”

But he has to contend with members such as Colorado’s Ken Buck, who is staunchly anti-Jordan because of concerns he won’t support Ukraine funding and because of his role in protesting the 2020 election results.

“I am not going to vote for Jim, I just think there’s too much there at this point,” Buck told ABC News. Buck said he feels so strongly “because I just don’t think that we can win the presidential election if we have candidates and leaders in our party who won’t admit that Donald Trump lost, who won’t admit that the Republican Party wants to move forward.”

Of course, Republicans such as Meuser and others argued that not voting in a speaker will also threaten GOP victories in the next election.

“I think it absolutely casts a bad cloud over the institution and Republicans,” New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis told ABC News.

Still others, however, were more optimistic — comparing this process to McCarthy’s and using it to argue that Jordan is on track for success.

“Do you believe that at the end of the day, it’s going to be Speaker Jordan?” ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott asked Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett.

“I do,” he replied.

-ABC’s Cheyenne Haslett

Oct 17, 4:26 PM EDT
GOP infighting continues

Jordan met with Scalise behind closed doors on Tuesday and asked for help to get the needed votes, a source told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott. The source says Scalise wouldn’t commit to helping Jordan.

Scalise was the conference’s first choice for speaker in an internal contest last week, as he defeated Jordan 113-99. But he dropped out days later, amid opposition from holdouts who were backing Jordan.

Of the 20 Republicans who voted against Jordan in the first round, seven voted for Scalise.

Scalise cast his vote for Jordan.

Oct 17, 3:57 PM EDT
Jeffries urges GOP to join Dems in ‘finding a bipartisan path forward’

ABC News asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries if he sees Republicans forging a way out of the speakership impasse today.

“It’s not a complicated situation,” Jeffries responded. “We just need traditional Republicans to break from the extremists and join us in finding a bipartisan path forward. We’ve said it over and over and over again. We are ready, willing and able to get together and reopen the House.”

Oct 17, 3:27 PM EDT
Jordan tells ABC more members will vote for him on 2nd ballot

ABC News caught Jordan moments after he left the House chamber. He made it clear that he’s staying in the race for speaker, insisting there will be another vote tonight.

“We thought we were doing well … that we were in that area or a little more maybe, but we feel confident. We already talked to some members who are going to vote with us on the second ballot,” Jordan said as he rushed into an office.

-ABC’s Rachel Scott, Lauren Peller, Arthur Jones and John Parkinson

Oct 17, 2:49 PM EDT
Jordan’s team says expect another round of votes today

“The House needs a speaker as soon as possible,” Russell Dye, a spokesperson for Jordan, said in a statement. “Expect another round of votes today. It’s time for Republicans to come together.”

The timing of a second vote, however, remains unclear.

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 17, 2:26 PM EDT
McCarthy says Jordan shouldn’t drop out, confident he’ll get the votes

McCarthy, the former speaker, attempted to equate Jordan’s loss to exactly what happened to him.

“Jordan had just as many votes as I had on the first one. I think the difference here is we have rules so we can sit down, talk to the other members and be able to move forward,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy lost 19 Republicans on the first ballot, while Jordan lost 20.

When asked if Jordan should drop out, McCarthy exclaimed: “No! No!”

“I saw the exact same vote that I got when I ran and I became speaker,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy said he’ll talk to Jordan and help in any way he can. When asked if he thinks Jordan will ultimately get the votes, McCarthy said “yes.”

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 17, 2:02 PM EDT
House goes into recess

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, after reading aloud the results of the first ballot, gaveled the chamber into recess.

“A speaker has not been elected,” McHenry said.

There will not be an immediate second vote. Lawmakers are now expected to huddle behind closed doors in conference.

Oct 17, 2:10 PM EDT
The 20 Republicans who voted against Jordan

Twenty House Republicans cast their ballot for someone other than Jordan.

Seven voted for Scalise: Reps. Tony Gonzales of Texas, Kay Granger of Texas, Mario Diaz Balart of Florida, Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, John Rutherford of Florida, Reps. Mike Simpson of Idaho and Steve Womack of Arkansas.

Six voted McCarthy: Reps. Lori Chavez DeRemer of Oregon, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Jennifer Kiggans of Virginia, Mike Lawler of New York and Doug LaMalfa of California.

Three voted for former New York congressman Lee Zeldin: Reps. Anthony D’Espositio, Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota — all members of the New York delegation.

Kansas Rep. Jake Ellzey voted for Mike Garcia of California; Colorado’s Ken Buck voted for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer; Michigan Rep. John James voted for Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole; and Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz voted for Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

Oct 17, 1:56 PM EDT
Jordan loses first round of voting

Jordan lost his first bid for the speakership. He received 200 votes, but needed at least 217 to clinch the gavel.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, nominated by Democrats, received 212 votes. Twenty lawmakers voted for someone else.

Oct 17, 1:33 PM EDT
McCarthy, ousted exactly 2 weeks ago, votes for Jordan

McCarthy, toppled by a small group of GOP hard-liners on Oct. 3, voted for Jordan to be his successor.

The moment was met with applause from the Republican side of the chamber.

But Jordan is still on track to lose on the first ballot, with 15 Republicans casting a vote for someone else.

Oct 17, 1:14 PM EDT
Jordan already falls short of vote needed

The vote is ongoing, but Jordan does not appear to have the support needed to win on the first ballot.

At least five Republicans have voted for someone else.

Two lawmakers, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Rep. Lori Chavez-Deremer of Oregon voted for McCarthy. Anthony D’Esposito voted for former Rep. Lee Zeldin., Rep. Mario Diaz Balart of Florida voted for Steve Scalise. Rep. Jake Ellzey voted for fellow Republican Rep. Mike Garcia.

Oct 17, 1:02 PM EDT
The math behind the speaker vote

There are 432 members in attendance for the upcoming vote to elect a speaker, according to the quorum call.

That means that 217 is the majority threshold needed to win the gavel, presuming every member in attendance votes for someone by name.

Jordan can only afford to lose three votes.

The speaker vote began shortly before 1 p.m.

Oct 17, 1:00 PM EDT
Democrats nominate Hakeem Jeffries, slam Jordan’s record

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., nominated House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.

Aguilar focused much of his remarks on Jordan’s record, noting that one of Jordan’s own colleagues once described him as a “legislative terrorist.”

“When New Yorkers were recovering from Hurricane Sandy and needed Congress to act, he said ‘no,'” Aguilar said. “When wildfires ravaged the west, destroying homes and businesses and those residents needed disaster assistance, he said ‘no.’ When the Mississippi river floods devastated the south in communities across state lines and needed Congress to act, he said ‘no.’ When our veterans were suffering from disease and dying as a result of their service to our country and Congress passed a bipartisan solution, he said ‘no.'”

Democrats seated behind Aguilar responded to each example with the chant, “He said no.”

“This body is talking about elevating a speaker nominee who has not passed a single bill in 16 years,” Aguilar said. “These are not the actions of someone interested in governing or bettering the lives of everyday Americans.”

Oct 17, 12:49 PM EDT
Stefanik nominates Jordan for speaker

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., rose to nominate Jordan for speaker. She received rounding applause from Republicans in the chamber.

“We are at a time of great crisis across America,” Stefanik said. “A time of historic challenges in this very chamber. And a time when heinous acts of terror and evil have been committed against our great ally, Israel.”

Stefanik went on to praise Jordan as a “patriot” and a “winner.”

“He’s an America-first warrior who wins the toughest of fights,” she said. “Going after corruption and delivering accountability at the highest levels of government, on behalf of we the people. Jim is the voice of the American people who have felt voiceless for far too long.”

Oct 17, 12:22 PM EDT
Quorum call is underway

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry opened the chamber at 12:03 p.m., quickly moving the lower chamber into a prayer led by Margaret Grun Kibben.

Following the opening prayer and the pledge of allegiance, the House began a quorum call to establish the members who are present and voting.

Oct 17, 12:14 PM EDT
Jordan ignores questions on 2020 election

Jordan’s actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack have been under scrutiny in his run for speaker.

Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, one Republican holdout, has pointed to Jordan’s past comments about the 2020 election and Jan. 6.

Buck told ABC News on Monday, “I think Jim at some point If he is going to lead this conference … is going to have to be strong and say Donald Trump didn’t win the election, and we need to move forward. Hopefully, you know, for Republicans, we get a Republican candidate in the White House.”

ABC News pushed Jordan on that point ahead of the vote.

“I have been very clear about that,” he responded. “There were states that unconstitutionally changed our election law and that’s what I objected to, as did the vast, vast majority of Republican members of Congress.”

Asked if he would acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 election, Jordan appeared to hear the question but did not respond and got onto the elevator. Two hours later, another reporter asked the same question and Jordan ignored it.

Oct 17, 12:04 PM EDT
Jordan projects confidence

Jordan spent the final hours meeting with GOP holdouts and working the phones ahead of the noon vote. There are still at least 10 holdouts and several members who have not said publicly how they will vote.

“We are going to find out here pretty soon,” Jordan told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott when asked if he has enough support to get elected.

Oct 17, 12:01 PM EDT
House chamber filling up ahead of vote

Minutes before the House opens for business, the gallery of the House chamber is filling up with more than 200 tourists and other visitors to the Capitol as journalists begin to settle into the press galleries and lawmakers arrive on the floor.

Among the first members on the floor is Republican Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, who is using a walker as he recovers from a major operation after sustaining a hip injury farming. Lucas took a seat in the back near the aisle, chatting briefly with Republican Rep. Randy Weber of Texas.

Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, who is rumored to be mulling his own bid for speaker if Jordan fails, is seated at the GOP leadership table. He walked over to the center aisle to talk with Colorado Democrat Joe Neguse.

Michigan Democrat Dan Kildee is seated behind the Democrat leadership table. Neguse is now seated there, chatting with his colleague. Rep. Debbie Dingel of Michigan is also seated on the Democratic side, scrolling through her phone.

Tennessee Republican Andy Ogles is the first of the Freedom Caucus members to stake their usual spot along the center aisle.

Oct 17, 11:55 AM EDT
Timing of the first-round speaker vote

Here’s the timing for what we expect for the first round of speaker votes this afternoon:

The clerk (Kevin McCumber, acting clerk) calls the House of Representatives to order at noon EST.
Prayer led by Margaret Grun Kibben — the first female chaplain of the House.
Pledge of Allegiance led by the House clerk.
Quorum call is ordered by the clerk. Members are called to vote electronically by state. At this point, we will hear the official number of lawmakers present and voting.
Election for speaker with nominations made by selected lawmakers. Typically, one lawmaker from each party is nominated — in this case, Jordan is the Republican nominee and Jeffries is the Democratic nominee. House Republican Conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik will nominate Jordan; House Democratic Caucus chairman Pete Aguilar will nominate Jeffries.
Debate on the nomination of candidates for speaker is allowed but not customary.
“Tellers” are appointed to count “viva voce” voice votes, usually two members from each side of the aisle. A “viva voce” vote is one spoken aloud. The (usually) four tellers take a seat at the dais and tally votes on paper.
Roll is then called by the House reading clerk with members calling out the last name of their chosen speaker; the clerk repeats the choice so everyone hears it. This could take up to one hour.
The House clerk announces the results; appoints an escort committee to formally escort the new Speaker-elect into the chamber.

Oct 17, 10:57 AM EDT
Does Jordan have the votes?

Currently the whole number of the House is 433, with two vacancies that won’t be filled until later this year. Presuming all 433 members vote, Jordan would need 217 votes to be named speaker.

But a whip count from ABC News shows it’s unlikely Jordan, who won the GOP nomination on Friday, has locked down the votes. He can only afford to lose four votes. As of right now, up to 10 Republicans have signaled that they plan to vote for someone other than Jordan on the first ballot. No Democrats are expected to support Jordan’s nomination.

A top aide to Jordan told ABC News that the congressman has “been meeting with members and making calls” this morning ahead of the vote.

Oct 17, 10:54 AM EDT
What to expect

The House will convene at noon today to consider the nomination of Jordan for speaker.

First, a quorum call will be ordered by the clerk for members to establish the official number of lawmakers present and voting.

Then, the election for speaker will take place. Typically, one lawmaker from each party is nominated: Jordan for Republicans and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Democrats. Lawmakers will then have a period of debate before a roll call vote in which each member will be called upon to state who they support for speaker.

If the first round fails, they have to restart this process or the House might recess so members could meet behind closed doors in conference.

Oct 17, 10:55 AM EDT
Who is Jim Jordan?

The Ohio Republican won the GOP nomination for speaker last week.

A conservative firebrand and favorite of former President Donald Trump, Jordan was first elected to Congress in 2006 and in 2015, founded the House Freedom Caucus — a conservative group that supports hard-line stances on government spending, health care, immigration and other issues.

Now, as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jordan is one of the Republicans leading the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and investigations into his son, Hunter.

-ABC’s Sarah Beth Hensley

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — The House is expected to cast second-round votes for the next speaker Wednesday morning after Rep. Jim Jordan failed to win the speakership Tuesday when 20 Republicans voted against him.

Jordan, a conservative firebrand, staunch Donald Trump loyalist and founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, received his party’s nomination last week after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise bowed out of the race.

The Ohio congressman now faces an uphill battle in securing the 217 votes he needs to win the gavel.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Oct 18, 1:39 PM EDT
Jordan suffers 2nd defeat

Jordan has officially lost a second vote in his bid for speaker.

The Ohio Republican received 199 votes. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries received 212 votes. Twenty-two Republicans cast their ballot for someone else.

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry gaveled the House into recess.

3:24
Jim Jordan loses more votes in second round of voting for House speaker

Oct 18, 1:12 PM EDT
GOP likely to meet behind closed doors after vote

Republicans will most likely go into a closed-door conference meeting, which is expected to include discussions about a potential short-term solution, among other things.

A conference meeting hasn’t officially been noticed to Republicans yet, but sources said that’s the next expected step after the vote closes.

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 18, 1:01 PM EDT
Republican opposition to Jordan rises

Jordan is facing even more opposition in this second round, with 22 Republicans so far casting their ballot for someone else.

On Tuesday, he had 20 GOP defectors.

The vote is still ongoing.

Oct 18, 12:26 PM EDT
Jordan on track for another defeat

The vote is ongoing, but already 10 Republicans have voted against Jordan, with that number expected to rise.

Oct 18, 12:18 PM EDT
Second vote for speaker is underway

A roll call vote is now underway.

Each member is being called on alphabetically to voice who they want to see succeed McCarthy. Jordan can only afford to lose four House Republicans before a fifth upsets his bid.

Oct 18, 12:51 PM EDT
Rep. Tom Cole nominates Jordan for speaker

Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole stood to nominate Jordan for the second ballot vote, saying he has what it takes to be speaker.

“He doesn’t dissemble. He simply tells you straight up, ‘this is what I believe,’ ‘this is why I think it’s the right thing to do for this country and that’s why I’m going to try to accomplish and work with you any way I can to do it,'” Cole said.

Cole commended Jordan’s work on committees and his stances on spending, immigration and more.

Cole also invoked the terror attacks in Israel, stating Israel is within its right to punish Hamas, which received a standing ovation from Republicans and Democrats.

“In a moment of crisis, and we are in a moment of crisis, we should come together to act,” Cole said. “And we know we can’t do that without a speaker of the House.”

Democrats once again nominated Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.

Oct 18, 11:44 AM EDT
Jordan: ‘We got to decide today’ on path forward

Jordan told reporters the American people deserve to have an answer today on what lies ahead.

“Look, I think we got to decide today. Are we going to have a Republican speaker … or is the body going to adopt this resolution with the speaker pro tempore?” Jordan said, referencing an effort to empower Rep. Patrick McHenry to conduct House business.

“I think both questions should be called,” Jordan said. “Let’s get an answer. We’ve been at this two weeks, the American people deserve to have their government functioning.”

Oct 18, 11:14 AM EDT
Republicans poised to reject Jordan on second ballot

Jordan is poised to lose Wednesday on a second ballot on the election of a speaker, but the Ohio Republican is showing no signs of giving up.

While Jordan has continued to attempt to sway holdout Republicans, only Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California has announced a change of heart following the first ballot. LaMalfa had initially voted for his fellow Californian, McCarthy — and now says he’ll support Jordan instead of the former speaker on the second ballot.

But the 19 other Republicans who bucked Jordan in the first round have not publicly shifted their stance yet, and Jordan is actually expected to lose additional lawmakers on the second ballot.

Oct 18, 10:19 AM EDT
Jordan could lose more Republicans on second ballot

A few Republican holdouts are reluctant to even take another meeting with Jordan or return his phone calls ahead of the second ballot set for Wednesday morning, sources tell ABC News.

By forcing another vote, Jordan runs the risk of losing even more Republicans on the second ballot. It’s unclear just how many gave him assurances that they’d only support him on the first round.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that talks between Democrats and Republicans have accelerated on an alternative plan to get the House back to business. Sources say Jeffries floated the idea of elevating a temporary speaker for a limited time so the House can do its work — a signal that a growing number of Democrats could support this plan.

Most Republicans expect the opposition against Jordan to grow Wednesday.

Oct 18, 9:42 AM EDT
If Jordan’s can’t win, one Republican wants to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry

Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, one of the few remaining moderates in the GOP majority, could bring up a motion to empower temporary speaker Patrick McHenry if Jordan can’t lock down the votes for speaker on the second ballot Wednesday morning.

“After two weeks without a Speaker of the House and no clear candidate with 217 votes in the Republican conference, it is time to look at other viable options. By empowering Patrick McHenry as Speaker Pro Tempore we can take care of our ally Israel until a new Speaker is elected,” Joyce said in a statement.

By officially “empowering” McHenry, Republicans could give themselves a (temporary) off ramp to approve emergency aid to Israel and to fund the government to avert a shutdown next month.

It’s not clear how long Joyce is proposing to empower McHenry, or if Republicans will allow Joyce to do so, instead of letting others run for speaker if Jordan falls short. It’s likely Democrats would need to back the proposal on the House floor, too.

McHenry and his team have suggested he isn’t interested in the role.

Oct 17, 5:21 PM EDT
Next speaker vote expected Wednesday morning

The next speaker vote will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jordan said after he left a two-hour meeting in Whip Emmer’s office.

He reiterated that he is not going to drop out of the speaker battle and emphasized that he had basically the same level of support as McCarthy on his first vote in January.

Jordan said he expects to gain support in a Wednesday morning vote, mentioning Florida Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who missed today’s vote because of a family funeral. He didn’t address potential future defectors.

Oct 17, 4:52 PM EDT
What Republicans are saying about Jordan’s first-round loss

Emerging from the floor after Jordan’s failed first vote, some Republicans expressed open frustration while others remained optimistic.

“We gotta wake up and stop this nonsense. There’s real serious work to be done,” Pennsylvania Rep. Dan Meuser said.

Meuser had “direct” and “strong” conversations with GOP colleagues after the vote to try to swing them, he said. “We’ve got to understand — we’ve got to operate as a team, because if we don’t, we will lose everything.”

But he has to contend with members such as Colorado’s Ken Buck, who is staunchly anti-Jordan because of concerns he won’t support Ukraine funding and because of his role in protesting the 2020 election results.

“I am not going to vote for Jim, I just think there’s too much there at this point,” Buck told ABC News. Buck said he feels so strongly “because I just don’t think that we can win the presidential election if we have candidates and leaders in our party who won’t admit that Donald Trump lost, who won’t admit that the Republican Party wants to move forward.”

Of course, Republicans such as Meuser and others argued that not voting in a speaker will also threaten GOP victories in the next election.

“I think it absolutely casts a bad cloud over the institution and Republicans,” New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis told ABC News.

Still others, however, were more optimistic — comparing this process to McCarthy’s and using it to argue that Jordan is on track for success.

“Do you believe that at the end of the day, it’s going to be Speaker Jordan?” ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott asked Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett.

“I do,” he replied.

-ABC’s Cheyenne Haslett

Oct 17, 4:26 PM EDT
GOP infighting continues

Jordan met with Scalise behind closed doors on Tuesday and asked for help to get the needed votes, a source told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott. The source says Scalise wouldn’t commit to helping Jordan.

Scalise was the conference’s first choice for speaker in an internal contest last week, as he defeated Jordan 113-99. But he dropped out days later, amid opposition from holdouts who were backing Jordan.

Of the 20 Republicans who voted against Jordan in the first round, seven voted for Scalise.

Scalise cast his vote for Jordan.

Oct 17, 3:57 PM EDT
Jeffries urges GOP to join Dems in ‘finding a bipartisan path forward’

ABC News asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries if he sees Republicans forging a way out of the speakership impasse today.

“It’s not a complicated situation,” Jeffries responded. “We just need traditional Republicans to break from the extremists and join us in finding a bipartisan path forward. We’ve said it over and over and over again. We are ready, willing and able to get together and reopen the House.”

Oct 17, 3:27 PM EDT
Jordan tells ABC more members will vote for him on 2nd ballot

ABC News caught Jordan moments after he left the House chamber. He made it clear that he’s staying in the race for speaker, insisting there will be another vote tonight.

“We thought we were doing well … that we were in that area or a little more maybe, but we feel confident. We already talked to some members who are going to vote with us on the second ballot,” Jordan said as he rushed into an office.

-ABC’s Rachel Scott, Lauren Peller, Arthur Jones and John Parkinson

Oct 17, 2:49 PM EDT
Jordan’s team says expect another round of votes today

“The House needs a speaker as soon as possible,” Russell Dye, a spokesperson for Jordan, said in a statement. “Expect another round of votes today. It’s time for Republicans to come together.”

The timing of a second vote, however, remains unclear.

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 17, 2:26 PM EDT
McCarthy says Jordan shouldn’t drop out, confident he’ll get the votes

McCarthy, the former speaker, attempted to equate Jordan’s loss to exactly what happened to him.

“Jordan had just as many votes as I had on the first one. I think the difference here is we have rules so we can sit down, talk to the other members and be able to move forward,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy lost 19 Republicans on the first ballot, while Jordan lost 20.

When asked if Jordan should drop out, McCarthy exclaimed: “No! No!”

“I saw the exact same vote that I got when I ran and I became speaker,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy said he’ll talk to Jordan and help in any way he can. When asked if he thinks Jordan will ultimately get the votes, McCarthy said “yes.”

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 17, 2:02 PM EDT
House goes into recess

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, after reading aloud the results of the first ballot, gaveled the chamber into recess.

“A speaker has not been elected,” McHenry said.

There will not be an immediate second vote. Lawmakers are now expected to huddle behind closed doors in conference.

Oct 17, 2:10 PM EDT
The 20 Republicans who voted against Jordan

Twenty House Republicans cast their ballot for someone other than Jordan.

Seven voted for Scalise: Reps. Tony Gonzales of Texas, Kay Granger of Texas, Mario Diaz Balart of Florida, Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, John Rutherford of Florida, Reps. Mike Simpson of Idaho and Steve Womack of Arkansas.

Six voted McCarthy: Reps. Lori Chavez DeRemer of Oregon, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Jennifer Kiggans of Virginia, Mike Lawler of New York and Doug LaMalfa of California.

Three voted for former New York congressman Lee Zeldin: Reps. Anthony D’Espositio, Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota — all members of the New York delegation.

Kansas Rep. Jake Ellzey voted for Mike Garcia of California; Colorado’s Ken Buck voted for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer; Michigan Rep. John James voted for Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole; and Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz voted for Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

Oct 17, 1:56 PM EDT
Jordan loses first round of voting

Jordan lost his first bid for the speakership. He received 200 votes, but needed at least 217 to clinch the gavel.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, nominated by Democrats, received 212 votes. Twenty lawmakers voted for someone else.

Oct 17, 1:33 PM EDT
McCarthy, ousted exactly 2 weeks ago, votes for Jordan

McCarthy, toppled by a small group of GOP hard-liners on Oct. 3, voted for Jordan to be his successor.

The moment was met with applause from the Republican side of the chamber.

But Jordan is still on track to lose on the first ballot, with 15 Republicans casting a vote for someone else.

Oct 17, 1:14 PM EDT
Jordan already falls short of vote needed

The vote is ongoing, but Jordan does not appear to have the support needed to win on the first ballot.

At least five Republicans have voted for someone else.

Two lawmakers, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Rep. Lori Chavez-Deremer of Oregon voted for McCarthy. Anthony D’Esposito voted for former Rep. Lee Zeldin., Rep. Mario Diaz Balart of Florida voted for Steve Scalise. Rep. Jake Ellzey voted for fellow Republican Rep. Mike Garcia.

Oct 17, 1:02 PM EDT
The math behind the speaker vote

There are 432 members in attendance for the upcoming vote to elect a speaker, according to the quorum call.

That means that 217 is the majority threshold needed to win the gavel, presuming every member in attendance votes for someone by name.

Jordan can only afford to lose three votes.

The speaker vote began shortly before 1 p.m.

Oct 17, 1:00 PM EDT
Democrats nominate Hakeem Jeffries, slam Jordan’s record

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., nominated House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.

Aguilar focused much of his remarks on Jordan’s record, noting that one of Jordan’s own colleagues once described him as a “legislative terrorist.”

“When New Yorkers were recovering from Hurricane Sandy and needed Congress to act, he said ‘no,'” Aguilar said. “When wildfires ravaged the west, destroying homes and businesses and those residents needed disaster assistance, he said ‘no.’ When the Mississippi river floods devastated the south in communities across state lines and needed Congress to act, he said ‘no.’ When our veterans were suffering from disease and dying as a result of their service to our country and Congress passed a bipartisan solution, he said ‘no.'”

Democrats seated behind Aguilar responded to each example with the chant, “He said no.”

“This body is talking about elevating a speaker nominee who has not passed a single bill in 16 years,” Aguilar said. “These are not the actions of someone interested in governing or bettering the lives of everyday Americans.”

Oct 17, 12:49 PM EDT
Stefanik nominates Jordan for speaker

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., rose to nominate Jordan for speaker. She received rounding applause from Republicans in the chamber.

“We are at a time of great crisis across America,” Stefanik said. “A time of historic challenges in this very chamber. And a time when heinous acts of terror and evil have been committed against our great ally, Israel.”

Stefanik went on to praise Jordan as a “patriot” and a “winner.”

“He’s an America-first warrior who wins the toughest of fights,” she said. “Going after corruption and delivering accountability at the highest levels of government, on behalf of we the people. Jim is the voice of the American people who have felt voiceless for far too long.”

Oct 17, 12:22 PM EDT
Quorum call is underway

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry opened the chamber at 12:03 p.m., quickly moving the lower chamber into a prayer led by Margaret Grun Kibben.

Following the opening prayer and the pledge of allegiance, the House began a quorum call to establish the members who are present and voting.

Oct 17, 12:14 PM EDT
Jordan ignores questions on 2020 election

Jordan’s actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack have been under scrutiny in his run for speaker.

Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, one Republican holdout, has pointed to Jordan’s past comments about the 2020 election and Jan. 6.

Buck told ABC News on Monday, “I think Jim at some point If he is going to lead this conference … is going to have to be strong and say Donald Trump didn’t win the election, and we need to move forward. Hopefully, you know, for Republicans, we get a Republican candidate in the White House.”

ABC News pushed Jordan on that point ahead of the vote.

“I have been very clear about that,” he responded. “There were states that unconstitutionally changed our election law and that’s what I objected to, as did the vast, vast majority of Republican members of Congress.”

Asked if he would acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 election, Jordan appeared to hear the question but did not respond and got onto the elevator. Two hours later, another reporter asked the same question and Jordan ignored it.

Oct 17, 12:04 PM EDT
Jordan projects confidence

Jordan spent the final hours meeting with GOP holdouts and working the phones ahead of the noon vote. There are still at least 10 holdouts and several members who have not said publicly how they will vote.

“We are going to find out here pretty soon,” Jordan told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott when asked if he has enough support to get elected.

Oct 17, 12:01 PM EDT
House chamber filling up ahead of vote

Minutes before the House opens for business, the gallery of the House chamber is filling up with more than 200 tourists and other visitors to the Capitol as journalists begin to settle into the press galleries and lawmakers arrive on the floor.

Among the first members on the floor is Republican Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, who is using a walker as he recovers from a major operation after sustaining a hip injury farming. Lucas took a seat in the back near the aisle, chatting briefly with Republican Rep. Randy Weber of Texas.

Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, who is rumored to be mulling his own bid for speaker if Jordan fails, is seated at the GOP leadership table. He walked over to the center aisle to talk with Colorado Democrat Joe Neguse.

Michigan Democrat Dan Kildee is seated behind the Democrat leadership table. Neguse is now seated there, chatting with his colleague. Rep. Debbie Dingel of Michigan is also seated on the Democratic side, scrolling through her phone.

Tennessee Republican Andy Ogles is the first of the Freedom Caucus members to stake their usual spot along the center aisle.

Oct 17, 11:55 AM EDT
Timing of the first-round speaker vote

Here’s the timing for what we expect for the first round of speaker votes this afternoon:

The clerk (Kevin McCumber, acting clerk) calls the House of Representatives to order at noon EST.
Prayer led by Margaret Grun Kibben — the first female chaplain of the House.
Pledge of Allegiance led by the House clerk.
Quorum call is ordered by the clerk. Members are called to vote electronically by state. At this point, we will hear the official number of lawmakers present and voting.
Election for speaker with nominations made by selected lawmakers. Typically, one lawmaker from each party is nominated — in this case, Jordan is the Republican nominee and Jeffries is the Democratic nominee. House Republican Conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik will nominate Jordan; House Democratic Caucus chairman Pete Aguilar will nominate Jeffries.
Debate on the nomination of candidates for speaker is allowed but not customary.
“Tellers” are appointed to count “viva voce” voice votes, usually two members from each side of the aisle. A “viva voce” vote is one spoken aloud. The (usually) four tellers take a seat at the dais and tally votes on paper.
Roll is then called by the House reading clerk with members calling out the last name of their chosen speaker; the clerk repeats the choice so everyone hears it. This could take up to one hour.
The House clerk announces the results; appoints an escort committee to formally escort the new Speaker-elect into the chamber.

Oct 17, 10:57 AM EDT
Does Jordan have the votes?

Currently the whole number of the House is 433, with two vacancies that won’t be filled until later this year. Presuming all 433 members vote, Jordan would need 217 votes to be named speaker.

But a whip count from ABC News shows it’s unlikely Jordan, who won the GOP nomination on Friday, has locked down the votes. He can only afford to lose four votes. As of right now, up to 10 Republicans have signaled that they plan to vote for someone other than Jordan on the first ballot. No Democrats are expected to support Jordan’s nomination.

A top aide to Jordan told ABC News that the congressman has “been meeting with members and making calls” this morning ahead of the vote.

Oct 17, 10:54 AM EDT
What to expect

The House will convene at noon today to consider the nomination of Jordan for speaker.

First, a quorum call will be ordered by the clerk for members to establish the official number of lawmakers present and voting.

Then, the election for speaker will take place. Typically, one lawmaker from each party is nominated: Jordan for Republicans and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Democrats. Lawmakers will then have a period of debate before a roll call vote in which each member will be called upon to state who they support for speaker.

If the first round fails, they have to restart this process or the House might recess so members could meet behind closed doors in conference.

Oct 17, 10:55 AM EDT
Who is Jim Jordan?

The Ohio Republican won the GOP nomination for speaker last week.

A conservative firebrand and favorite of former President Donald Trump, Jordan was first elected to Congress in 2006 and in 2015, founded the House Freedom Caucus — a conservative group that supports hard-line stances on government spending, health care, immigration and other issues.

Now, as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jordan is one of the Republicans leading the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and investigations into his son, Hunter.

-ABC’s Sarah Beth Hensley

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — The House is expected to cast second-round votes for the next speaker Wednesday morning after Rep. Jim Jordan failed to win the speakership Tuesday when 20 Republicans voted against him.

Jordan, a conservative firebrand, staunch Donald Trump loyalist and founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, received his party’s nomination last week after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise bowed out of the race.

The Ohio congressman now faces an uphill battle in securing the 217 votes he needs to win the gavel.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Oct 18, 11:44 AM EDT
Jordan: ‘We got to decide today’ on path forward

Jordan told reporters the American people deserve to have an answer today on what lies ahead.

“Look, I think we got to decide today. Are we going to have a Republican speaker … or is the body going to adopt this resolution with the speaker pro tempore?” Jordan said, referencing an effort to empower Rep. Patrick McHenry to conduct House business.

“I think both questions should be called,” Jordan said. “Let’s get an answer. We’ve been at this two weeks, the American people deserve to have their government functioning.”

Oct 18, 11:14 AM EDT
Republicans poised to reject Jordan on second ballot

Jordan is poised to lose Wednesday on a second ballot on the election of a speaker, but the Ohio Republican is showing no signs of giving up.

While Jordan has continued to attempt to sway holdout Republicans, only Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California has announced a change of heart following the first ballot. LaMalfa had initially voted for his fellow Californian, McCarthy — and now says he’ll support Jordan instead of the former speaker on the second ballot.

But the 19 other Republicans who bucked Jordan in the first round have not publicly shifted their stance yet, and Jordan is actually expected to lose additional lawmakers on the second ballot.

Oct 18, 10:19 AM EDT
Jordan could lose more Republicans on second ballot

A few Republican holdouts are reluctant to even take another meeting with Jordan or return his phone calls ahead of the second ballot set for Wednesday morning, sources tell ABC News.

By forcing another vote, Jordan runs the risk of losing even more Republicans on the second ballot. It’s unclear just how many gave him assurances that they’d only support him on the first round.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that talks between Democrats and Republicans have accelerated on an alternative plan to get the House back to business. Sources say Jeffries floated the idea of elevating a temporary speaker for a limited time so the House can do its work — a signal that a growing number of Democrats could support this plan.

Most Republicans expect the opposition against Jordan to grow Wednesday.

Oct 18, 9:42 AM EDT
If Jordan’s can’t win, one Republican wants to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry

Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, one of the few remaining moderates in the GOP majority, could bring up a motion to empower temporary speaker Patrick McHenry if Jordan can’t lock down the votes for speaker on the second ballot Wednesday morning.

“After two weeks without a Speaker of the House and no clear candidate with 217 votes in the Republican conference, it is time to look at other viable options. By empowering Patrick McHenry as Speaker Pro Tempore we can take care of our ally Israel until a new Speaker is elected,” Joyce said in a statement.

By officially “empowering” McHenry, Republicans could give themselves a (temporary) off ramp to approve emergency aid to Israel and to fund the government to avert a shutdown next month.

It’s not clear how long Joyce is proposing to empower McHenry, or if Republicans will allow Joyce to do so, instead of letting others run for speaker if Jordan falls short. It’s likely Democrats would need to back the proposal on the House floor, too.

McHenry and his team have suggested he isn’t interested in the role.

Oct 17, 5:21 PM EDT
Next speaker vote expected Wednesday morning

The next speaker vote will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jordan said after he left a two-hour meeting in Whip Emmer’s office.

He reiterated that he is not going to drop out of the speaker battle and emphasized that he had basically the same level of support as McCarthy on his first vote in January.

Jordan said he expects to gain support in a Wednesday morning vote, mentioning Florida Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who missed today’s vote because of a family funeral. He didn’t address potential future defectors.

Oct 17, 4:52 PM EDT
What Republicans are saying about Jordan’s first-round loss

Emerging from the floor after Jordan’s failed first vote, some Republicans expressed open frustration while others remained optimistic.

“We gotta wake up and stop this nonsense. There’s real serious work to be done,” Pennsylvania Rep. Dan Meuser said.

Meuser had “direct” and “strong” conversations with GOP colleagues after the vote to try to swing them, he said. “We’ve got to understand — we’ve got to operate as a team, because if we don’t, we will lose everything.”

But he has to contend with members such as Colorado’s Ken Buck, who is staunchly anti-Jordan because of concerns he won’t support Ukraine funding and because of his role in protesting the 2020 election results.

“I am not going to vote for Jim, I just think there’s too much there at this point,” Buck told ABC News. Buck said he feels so strongly “because I just don’t think that we can win the presidential election if we have candidates and leaders in our party who won’t admit that Donald Trump lost, who won’t admit that the Republican Party wants to move forward.”

Of course, Republicans such as Meuser and others argued that not voting in a speaker will also threaten GOP victories in the next election.

“I think it absolutely casts a bad cloud over the institution and Republicans,” New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis told ABC News.

Still others, however, were more optimistic — comparing this process to McCarthy’s and using it to argue that Jordan is on track for success.

“Do you believe that at the end of the day, it’s going to be Speaker Jordan?” ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott asked Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett.

“I do,” he replied.

-ABC’s Cheyenne Haslett

Oct 17, 4:26 PM EDT
GOP infighting continues

Jordan met with Scalise behind closed doors on Tuesday and asked for help to get the needed votes, a source told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott. The source says Scalise wouldn’t commit to helping Jordan.

Scalise was the conference’s first choice for speaker in an internal contest last week, as he defeated Jordan 113-99. But he dropped out days later, amid opposition from holdouts who were backing Jordan.

Of the 20 Republicans who voted against Jordan in the first round, seven voted for Scalise.

Scalise cast his vote for Jordan.

Oct 17, 3:57 PM EDT
Jeffries urges GOP to join Dems in ‘finding a bipartisan path forward’

ABC News asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries if he sees Republicans forging a way out of the speakership impasse today.

“It’s not a complicated situation,” Jeffries responded. “We just need traditional Republicans to break from the extremists and join us in finding a bipartisan path forward. We’ve said it over and over and over again. We are ready, willing and able to get together and reopen the House.”

Oct 17, 3:27 PM EDT
Jordan tells ABC more members will vote for him on 2nd ballot

ABC News caught Jordan moments after he left the House chamber. He made it clear that he’s staying in the race for speaker, insisting there will be another vote tonight.

“We thought we were doing well … that we were in that area or a little more maybe, but we feel confident. We already talked to some members who are going to vote with us on the second ballot,” Jordan said as he rushed into an office.

-ABC’s Rachel Scott, Lauren Peller, Arthur Jones and John Parkinson

Oct 17, 2:49 PM EDT
Jordan’s team says expect another round of votes today

“The House needs a speaker as soon as possible,” Russell Dye, a spokesperson for Jordan, said in a statement. “Expect another round of votes today. It’s time for Republicans to come together.”

The timing of a second vote, however, remains unclear.

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 17, 2:26 PM EDT
McCarthy says Jordan shouldn’t drop out, confident he’ll get the votes

McCarthy, the former speaker, attempted to equate Jordan’s loss to exactly what happened to him.

“Jordan had just as many votes as I had on the first one. I think the difference here is we have rules so we can sit down, talk to the other members and be able to move forward,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy lost 19 Republicans on the first ballot, while Jordan lost 20.

When asked if Jordan should drop out, McCarthy exclaimed: “No! No!”

“I saw the exact same vote that I got when I ran and I became speaker,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy said he’ll talk to Jordan and help in any way he can. When asked if he thinks Jordan will ultimately get the votes, McCarthy said “yes.”

-ABC’s Katherine Faulders

Oct 17, 2:02 PM EDT
House goes into recess

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, after reading aloud the results of the first ballot, gaveled the chamber into recess.

“A speaker has not been elected,” McHenry said.

There will not be an immediate second vote. Lawmakers are now expected to huddle behind closed doors in conference.

Oct 17, 2:10 PM EDT
The 20 Republicans who voted against Jordan

Twenty House Republicans cast their ballot for someone other than Jordan.

Seven voted for Scalise: Reps. Tony Gonzales of Texas, Kay Granger of Texas, Mario Diaz Balart of Florida, Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, John Rutherford of Florida, Reps. Mike Simpson of Idaho and Steve Womack of Arkansas.

Six voted McCarthy: Reps. Lori Chavez DeRemer of Oregon, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Jennifer Kiggans of Virginia, Mike Lawler of New York and Doug LaMalfa of California.

Three voted for former New York congressman Lee Zeldin: Reps. Anthony D’Espositio, Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota — all members of the New York delegation.

Kansas Rep. Jake Ellzey voted for Mike Garcia of California; Colorado’s Ken Buck voted for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer; Michigan Rep. John James voted for Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole; and Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz voted for Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

Oct 17, 1:56 PM EDT
Jordan loses first round of voting

Jordan lost his first bid for the speakership. He received 200 votes, but needed at least 217 to clinch the gavel.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, nominated by Democrats, received 212 votes. Twenty lawmakers voted for someone else.

Oct 17, 1:33 PM EDT
McCarthy, ousted exactly 2 weeks ago, votes for Jordan

McCarthy, toppled by a small group of GOP hard-liners on Oct. 3, voted for Jordan to be his successor.

The moment was met with applause from the Republican side of the chamber.

But Jordan is still on track to lose on the first ballot, with 15 Republicans casting a vote for someone else.

Oct 17, 1:14 PM EDT
Jordan already falls short of vote needed

The vote is ongoing, but Jordan does not appear to have the support needed to win on the first ballot.

At least five Republicans have voted for someone else.

Two lawmakers, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Rep. Lori Chavez-Deremer of Oregon voted for McCarthy. Anthony D’Esposito voted for former Rep. Lee Zeldin., Rep. Mario Diaz Balart of Florida voted for Steve Scalise. Rep. Jake Ellzey voted for fellow Republican Rep. Mike Garcia.

Oct 17, 1:02 PM EDT
The math behind the speaker vote

There are 432 members in attendance for the upcoming vote to elect a speaker, according to the quorum call.

That means that 217 is the majority threshold needed to win the gavel, presuming every member in attendance votes for someone by name.

Jordan can only afford to lose three votes.

The speaker vote began shortly before 1 p.m.

Oct 17, 1:00 PM EDT
Democrats nominate Hakeem Jeffries, slam Jordan’s record

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., nominated House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.

Aguilar focused much of his remarks on Jordan’s record, noting that one of Jordan’s own colleagues once described him as a “legislative terrorist.”

“When New Yorkers were recovering from Hurricane Sandy and needed Congress to act, he said ‘no,'” Aguilar said. “When wildfires ravaged the west, destroying homes and businesses and those residents needed disaster assistance, he said ‘no.’ When the Mississippi river floods devastated the south in communities across state lines and needed Congress to act, he said ‘no.’ When our veterans were suffering from disease and dying as a result of their service to our country and Congress passed a bipartisan solution, he said ‘no.'”

Democrats seated behind Aguilar responded to each example with the chant, “He said no.”

“This body is talking about elevating a speaker nominee who has not passed a single bill in 16 years,” Aguilar said. “These are not the actions of someone interested in governing or bettering the lives of everyday Americans.”

Oct 17, 12:49 PM EDT
Stefanik nominates Jordan for speaker

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., rose to nominate Jordan for speaker. She received rounding applause from Republicans in the chamber.

“We are at a time of great crisis across America,” Stefanik said. “A time of historic challenges in this very chamber. And a time when heinous acts of terror and evil have been committed against our great ally, Israel.”

Stefanik went on to praise Jordan as a “patriot” and a “winner.”

“He’s an America-first warrior who wins the toughest of fights,” she said. “Going after corruption and delivering accountability at the highest levels of government, on behalf of we the people. Jim is the voice of the American people who have felt voiceless for far too long.”

Oct 17, 12:22 PM EDT
Quorum call is underway

Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry opened the chamber at 12:03 p.m., quickly moving the lower chamber into a prayer led by Margaret Grun Kibben.

Following the opening prayer and the pledge of allegiance, the House began a quorum call to establish the members who are present and voting.

Oct 17, 12:14 PM EDT
Jordan ignores questions on 2020 election

Jordan’s actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack have been under scrutiny in his run for speaker.

Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, one Republican holdout, has pointed to Jordan’s past comments about the 2020 election and Jan. 6.

Buck told ABC News on Monday, “I think Jim at some point If he is going to lead this conference … is going to have to be strong and say Donald Trump didn’t win the election, and we need to move forward. Hopefully, you know, for Republicans, we get a Republican candidate in the White House.”

ABC News pushed Jordan on that point ahead of the vote.

“I have been very clear about that,” he responded. “There were states that unconstitutionally changed our election law and that’s what I objected to, as did the vast, vast majority of Republican members of Congress.”

Asked if he would acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 election, Jordan appeared to hear the question but did not respond and got onto the elevator. Two hours later, another reporter asked the same question and Jordan ignored it.

Oct 17, 12:04 PM EDT
Jordan projects confidence

Jordan spent the final hours meeting with GOP holdouts and working the phones ahead of the noon vote. There are still at least 10 holdouts and several members who have not said publicly how they will vote.

“We are going to find out here pretty soon,” Jordan told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott when asked if he has enough support to get elected.

Oct 17, 12:01 PM EDT
House chamber filling up ahead of vote

Minutes before the House opens for business, the gallery of the House chamber is filling up with more than 200 tourists and other visitors to the Capitol as journalists begin to settle into the press galleries and lawmakers arrive on the floor.

Among the first members on the floor is Republican Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, who is using a walker as he recovers from a major operation after sustaining a hip injury farming. Lucas took a seat in the back near the aisle, chatting briefly with Republican Rep. Randy Weber of Texas.

Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, who is rumored to be mulling his own bid for speaker if Jordan fails, is seated at the GOP leadership table. He walked over to the center aisle to talk with Colorado Democrat Joe Neguse.

Michigan Democrat Dan Kildee is seated behind the Democrat leadership table. Neguse is now seated there, chatting with his colleague. Rep. Debbie Dingel of Michigan is also seated on the Democratic side, scrolling through her phone.

Tennessee Republican Andy Ogles is the first of the Freedom Caucus members to stake their usual spot along the center aisle.

Oct 17, 11:55 AM EDT
Timing of the first-round speaker vote

Here’s the timing for what we expect for the first round of speaker votes this afternoon:

The clerk (Kevin McCumber, acting clerk) calls the House of Representatives to order at noon EST.
Prayer led by Margaret Grun Kibben — the first female chaplain of the House.
Pledge of Allegiance led by the House clerk.
Quorum call is ordered by the clerk. Members are called to vote electronically by state. At this point, we will hear the official number of lawmakers present and voting.
Election for speaker with nominations made by selected lawmakers. Typically, one lawmaker from each party is nominated — in this case, Jordan is the Republican nominee and Jeffries is the Democratic nominee. House Republican Conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik will nominate Jordan; House Democratic Caucus chairman Pete Aguilar will nominate Jeffries.
Debate on the nomination of candidates for speaker is allowed but not customary.
“Tellers” are appointed to count “viva voce” voice votes, usually two members from each side of the aisle. A “viva voce” vote is one spoken aloud. The (usually) four tellers take a seat at the dais and tally votes on paper.
Roll is then called by the House reading clerk with members calling out the last name of their chosen speaker; the clerk repeats the choice so everyone hears it. This could take up to one hour.
The House clerk announces the results; appoints an escort committee to formally escort the new Speaker-elect into the chamber.

Oct 17, 10:57 AM EDT
Does Jordan have the votes?

Currently the whole number of the House is 433, with two vacancies that won’t be filled until later this year. Presuming all 433 members vote, Jordan would need 217 votes to be named speaker.

But a whip count from ABC News shows it’s unlikely Jordan, who won the GOP nomination on Friday, has locked down the votes. He can only afford to lose four votes. As of right now, up to 10 Republicans have signaled that they plan to vote for someone other than Jordan on the first ballot. No Democrats are expected to support Jordan’s nomination.

A top aide to Jordan told ABC News that the congressman has “been meeting with members and making calls” this morning ahead of the vote.

Oct 17, 10:54 AM EDT
What to expect

The House will convene at noon today to consider the nomination of Jordan for speaker.

First, a quorum call will be ordered by the clerk for members to establish the official number of lawmakers present and voting.

Then, the election for speaker will take place. Typically, one lawmaker from each party is nominated: Jordan for Republicans and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Democrats. Lawmakers will then have a period of debate before a roll call vote in which each member will be called upon to state who they support for speaker.

If the first round fails, they have to restart this process or the House might recess so members could meet behind closed doors in conference.

Oct 17, 10:55 AM EDT
Who is Jim Jordan?

The Ohio Republican won the GOP nomination for speaker last week.

A conservative firebrand and favorite of former President Donald Trump, Jordan was first elected to Congress in 2006 and in 2015, founded the House Freedom Caucus — a conservative group that supports hard-line stances on government spending, health care, immigration and other issues.

Now, as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jordan is one of the Republicans leading the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and investigations into his son, Hunter.

-ABC’s Sarah Beth Hensley

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