Support Grows for Rep. Patrick McHenry as Potential Speaker Following Jordan’s Failure
In a surprising turn of events, support is increasingly building behind Rep. Patrick McHenry as a proposal to empower him as the new Speaker gains momentum, after Rep. Jim Jordan failed to win the necessary votes for the position. McHenry, who has been serving as the temporary speaker pro tempore, was appointed to the role by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
The extent of McHenry’s authority has remained unclear due to the unprecedented nature of McCarthy’s removal. Since assuming the role, McHenry has carried out limited duties such as gaveling the House in and out of session and overseeing the election of a new speaker. He also ordered two top Democrats, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, to vacate their offices in the Capitol.
However, with the House at a standstill, a growing number of Republican lawmakers, including two former speakers, believe that McHenry’s power should be expanded to break the deadlock. Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania introduced a resolution to elect McHenry as speaker pro tempore until Nov. 17 or until a new speaker is elected, whichever comes first. According to Kelly, the House parliamentarian has stated that McHenry’s current designation as speaker pro tempore limits his authority, but by formally electing him, the House could grant McHenry the necessary power to advance legislation to the floor.
Former Speakers Newt Gingrich and John Boehner have also expressed their support for expanding McHenry’s power. Rep. Dave Joyce of Ohio responded to Boehner’s social media post endorsing McHenry by saying, “funny you mention it…” Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez, who opposes Jordan, also posted on social media urging for more authority to be given to McHenry.
Any effort to empower McHenry would likely require support from House Democrats, and some have already indicated their favor for a vote to expand his authority to enable consideration of a limited legislative agenda. Four Democratic members of the Problem Solvers Caucus have signed a letter urging an immediate vote on this proposal, which has also been endorsed by the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of centrist Democrats.
With the House at an impasse, the possibility of Rep. Patrick McHenry stepping into a more influential role as Speaker is gaining traction. The outcome of this proposal remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the push to break the deadlock and move forward with legislative action is growing stronger.