Close to Trump, Jim Jordan disavowed by the Republicans for the post of speaker, Congress in crisis

2023-10-21 10:44:51

It is impossible for the American Congress to achieve unanimity, except against itself. But since October 3 and the historic impeachment of Kevin McCarthy, American deputies have not even been able to agree on a majority, even at a minimum. Candidate nominated by the Republican Party to take over the presidency of the House of Representatives, Jim Jordan failed to be elected on Friday, for the third time in four days.

Twenty-five Republicans voted against this close friend of Donald Trump, while the party is torn between supporters of the former president and moderates. A few hours later, Republican elected officials held a secret ballot, withdrawing the party’s support for Jim Jordan. “We must come together and determine who our leader will be,” said the elected representative from Ohio after this vote, confirming that he would not run again. Republicans will meet again on Monday to nominate a new candidate.

Without a new speaker, “lives will be put in danger”

For almost three weeks, the lower house of the American Congress, supposed to be one of the most powerful parliaments in the world, has not been able to vote on any bill. And this at a time when American President Joe Biden has just asked Congress for a huge budget increase of more than $105 billion to help allies Israel and Ukraine, stand up to China and respond to the arrival of migrants at the border. south of the country. “We are in a very bad situation,” admitted Kevin McCarthy.

“We need to unblock the House. I expect the Senate to begin work on President Biden’s national security package as soon as possible,” Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the Democratic Caucus in the House of Representatives, told reporters. “If the House is not unblocked, it will bog down needlessly and lives will be put in danger. It’s a serious situation,” he insisted.

To get out of the crisis, Hakeem Jeffries called for finding a “speaker” who results from a choice coming from both political sides. According to him, Jim Jordan was a “danger to democracy”. “There are still reasonable Republicans on the other side of the House, men and women who want the House to return to service,” he assured.