U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, Democrat of California, nominates Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (L seated), Democrat of New York, for new Speaker of the House, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on October 17, 2023. | Source: SAUL LOEB / Getty
Support for Hakeem Jeffries to be the next Speaker of the House of Representatives proved to be too much for Republicans’ choice of Jim Jordan in the first round of voting on Tuesday.
That outcome may or may not have been influenced by the truthful and accurate words of Rep. Pete Aguilar, who nominated Jeffries with a searing undressing of the Republican from Ohio who openly supported Donald Trump’s disingenuous attempted reversal of the 2020 election results.
Aguilar wasted no time reminding his fellow members of Congress and the viewing public that not only is Jordan “seeking to undermine democracy” but he is also “someone who has spent his entire career trying to hold our country back” with such deeds like “authoring the very bill that would ban abortion nationwide without exception and inciting violence on this chamber.”
No lies detected.
Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy laughs Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) listens to advice as the House of Representatives prepares to vote on a new Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol Building on October 17, 2023, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Win McNamee / Getty
Aguilar, a first-term Congressman from California, continued with more truth bombs by pointing to Jordan’s record of voting against the interests of the American people, particularly during natural disasters. Aguilar also brought up Jordan’s lack of legislative success to support his reasons for why he says he shouldn’t be Speaker of the House.
“This body is debating elevating a Speaker nominee who has not passed a single bill in 16 years,” Aguilar accurately noted. “These are not the actions of someone interested in governing or bettering the lives of everyday Americans.”
Then, Aguilar had his mic drop moment.
“If the goal is to continue taking marching orders from a twice impeached former president with more than 90 impending felony charges, then there is a candidate for you,” Aguilar told his Republican counterparts about Jordan.
Watch below.
When it came time to take a vote among the 535 members of Congress, 20 Republicans failed to support Jordan, who has been the subject of credible accusations of covering up a sexual abuse scandal during his time as a wrestling coach at Ohio State University.
Jordan needed at least 217 votes to win and couldn’t afford to lose more than three Republican votes. The House went into recess before other rounds of voting were expected.
In fact, Jeffries finished with more votes than Jordan did, prompting at least one Republican to tell CNN that the results were “worse than we expected.”
For perspective’s sake, it took California Rep. Kevin McCarthy 15 rounds of voting before he was elected House Speaker back in January.
Jeffries has been enjoying bipartisan support for House Speaker since Republican infighting resulted in the abrupt ouster of McCarthy from that powerful position earlier this month.
Jeffries – who is currently the House Minority Leader, the highest position held by a Black person in the House in either party – likely has long odds to be voted Speaker of the House. But as Republicans struggle to galvanize support around a candidate, the choice of Jeffries could become increasingly appealing to those looking for stability in the U.S. Capitol.
“The American people have had enough,” CBC Chair and Nevada Congressman Steven Horsford said in a statement sent to NewsOne earlier this month. “If the Republicans are not ready to govern, they can step aside and allow Democrats to elect Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker, and let us get to work on behalf of the American people.”
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