Rep. Jim Jordan Announces Bid For Speaker of the House

jim jordan house speaker
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) speaks to members of the media after he left a House Republican closed door meeting on immigration June 21, 2018 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Due to the defeat of a conservative immigration bill today, House Republican leaders have postponed a vote on a "compromise" immigration proposal until next week. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Rep. Jim Jordan, founding chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, has confirmed that he plans to enter the House Speaker’s race to succeed outgoing Speaker Paul Ryan.

Jordan made the announcement on The Curt Schilling Podcast on Monday. “If and when there is a Speaker’s race, I plan on being part of that discussion,” Jordan said, before adding that the GOP needs to focus on “the kind of things we told the American people we were going to do” if they want to have a Speaker’s race at all. (RELATED: Jim Jordan Considering Running for Speaker of the House).

“We get the right kind of immigration bill across the finish line, we actually make the tax cuts permanent, we fight for the values we told the American people [we would], we reform welfare. I mean, these are the kind of things we told the American people we were going to do and I think more important than who the Speaker is next year is what we do this year because if we don’t do the right things this year we might not have a race for Speaker. Maybe it would be a race for minority leader so let’s stay focused on what we got to do and everything else will take that step.”

To the chagrin of conservative voters, Paul Ryan has carried on the establishment tendencies of ousted former House Speaker John Boehner. In contrast, Speaker hopefuls like House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Majority Whip Steve Scalise have made an effort to appeal to the working-class voters who elected President Donald Trump.

However, McCarthy, who’s from California, has also proven that he – like Ryan – is willing to compromise with Democrats on hot-button issues like immigration, a move that surely puts Republican control of both the House and Senate in jeopardy. Jordan, on the other hand, has demonstrated that he’s actually willing to fight for American citizens and rule of law.

Unfortunately, the smart play is to keep Ryan in the Speakership until the midterms. But if and when an election for a new GOP Speaker occurs, Jim Jordan might be the party’s best bet.

By Ann

Ann is a conservative political blogger whose work has appeared on Bleacher Report and America Liberty PAC. Nothing angers... More about Ann

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