Published October 21, 2023
GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania was one of the 25 holdouts against the man who was designated as the Republican caucus’ official candidate for House speaker, Rep. Jim Jordan, on the third vote. He was one of the new votes against Jordan on the third ballot.
Those holdouts, as you probably know, are the reason why Jordan was nowhere near the 217 votes needed to make him speaker. Until a speaker is elected, Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina is the acting speaker pro tempore — with limited, marginal powers attached to the role he assumed after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the position.
McHenry is the man Fitzpatrick switched his vote to. That put Jordan even further away from the 217 votes he needed than he was at the beginning of Friday, although there are few GOP dissenters who are voting for McHenry. It’s also why Jordan is no longer the party’s official nominee for the position after the loss of support; at least six Republicans are running for the position as of Friday night.
The reason Fitzpatrick gave for his dissenting vote is that the House needs to be functional going forward — which is why he switched his vote away from Jordan, getting us further from having a functional House.
Perhaps I should let Fitzpatrick explain it in his own words:
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SOURCE: https://www.westernjournal.com/rep-fitzpatrick-explains-real-reason-holdout-jim-jordan/
RELATED: Anti-McCarthy Republicans say they’ll accept conference punishment if holdouts vote for Jordan
Published October 20, 2023
Seven of the eight Republicans who sided with Democrats to oust then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) earlier this month said Friday they would be willing to accept punishment for their actions if it meant that the growing number of holdouts against giving the gavel to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) come around to the majority of the conference.
“The holdouts against Jim Jordan have no asks, have no goals, have no objectives other than to see the eight of us suffer some consequence for having removed McCarthy,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) told reporters after the third Speaker vote, which Jordan lost by his highest amount yet. “So we’ve made them an offer. The eight of us have said that we are willing to accept censure, sanction, suspension, removal from the Republican Conference.”
“We will of course remain Republicans, we will continue to vote with Republicans on Republican principles,” he continued. “But if what these holdouts need is a pound of our flesh, we’re willing to give it to them in order to see them elect Jim Jordan for Speaker.”
Gaetz led the group of Republicans who ousted McCarthy. Seven of the eight in the group have since supported and voted for Jordan in the three House Speaker votes this week, while Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) has voted for Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).
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SOURCE: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4266969-anti-mccarthy-eight-accept-punishment-holdouts-vote-jordan/
RELATED: 7 Republican Reps Offer to Be Censured, Removed from GOP Conference to Get Jordan Elected as Speaker
Published October 21, 2023
In a post to X early Friday afternoon, Rep. Matt Gaetz offered up himself and the other seven Republicans who joined with House Democrats on October third to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as sacrificial lambs of a sort, if it would help other Republicans see their way clear to vote for Rep. Jim Jordan as speaker.
“If the holdouts who refuse to vote for Speaker-Designate Jim Jordan would be willing to ‘vote with the team’ and elect him the 56th House Speaker, we are prepared to accept censure, suspension, or removal from the Conference to accomplish this objective,” a letter posted to Gaetz’ X account.
However, in a move that critics will certainly point to as yet another example of the chaos in the Republican Party, one of the eight — Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado — told Politico reporter Olivia Beavers that his presence on the letter was a “mistake.”
Buck did not vote for Jordan in any of the three ballots for speaker. Twenty Republicans voted against Jordan on the first ballot, and he has lost support on each ballot since.
“This was a mistake. Congressman Buck had not agreed to sign this letter and his name has since been removed. His position remains unchanged,” a spokesman for Buck said.
