Lawmakers are convening on Capitol Hill this week with the goal of reaching a bipartisan solution to fill the vacant speaker’s office. Despite facing opposition from 55 House Republicans, Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, the current GOP front-runner, plans to push for a floor vote as early as Tuesday, according to Punchbowl News.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) revealed that “informal conversations” towards a bipartisan solution have already been taking place. As they return to Washington, the lawmakers will focus on formalizing these discussions.
Jordan emerged as the latest GOP candidate for the role after securing the nomination with a 124-81 vote in the House GOP conference last Friday. However, his success is still uncertain, following in the footsteps of Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who withdrew from the race last week when he failed to garner enough support.
With the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and an urgent deadline to fund the federal government approaching, lawmakers are feeling the urgency to fill the speaker position promptly. The House’s inability to proceed without a speaker has led legislators to seek a breakthrough. Jeffries addressed the delay in initiating formal bipartisan conversations, placing the responsibility on his House Republican colleagues. He emphasized their readiness to join a bipartisan governing coalition publicly and privately.
Although Ohio Republican Rep. Mike Turner prefers a Republican solution to the speaker vacancy, he acknowledged that if a few Republicans obstruct the efforts, negotiations with Democrats may be necessary.
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