It has been almost two weeks since Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California was voted out as Speaker of the House, when a group of eight far-right Republicans joined all House Democrats in voting to vacate the chair.
None of Alabama’s Republicans voted to oust McCarthy and some have expressed frustration over the situation, especially with global tensions rising.
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers has been the most outspoken, calling the eight anti-McCarthy Republican “traitors” and suggesting that striking a deal with Democrats could be the only way to manage the House given the deep divides in his conference.
“The bottom line is we have a very fractured conference, and to limit ourselves to just getting 217 out of our conference, I think, is not a wise path,” Rogers told NBC News. Rogers went on to suggest that, given the divided nature of the GOP, Republicans may need some Democratic votes to elect a speaker and have a functioning House.
By Monday morning, however, Rogers was fully backing Rep. Jim Jordan.
.@Jim_Jordan and I have had two cordial, thoughtful, and productive conversations over the past two days. We agreed on the need for Congress to pass a strong NDAA, appropriations to fund our government’s vital functions, and other important legislation like the Farm Bill. (1/3)
— Mike Rogers (@RepMikeRogersAL) October 16, 2023
U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl also expressed frustration, calling the Speaker skirmish a “distraction.”
“I voted against removing Speaker McCarthy because this is nothing more than a distraction from the real issues that matter to Americans,” Carl said. “We need to focus on securing the border, cutting wasteful government spending, countering the Biden admin, and stopping the woke agenda.”
Looking forward, U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer is fully behind U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, who was officially nominated for Speaker by the House Republican Conference late last week.
“Jim Jordan is the strong conservative voice we need to unite the Republican Conference at this time,” said Palmer. “I supported Jim in the first vote for Speaker earlier this week, again today in Conference, and will vote for him on the House floor.
“Jim will continue to work to secure our border, push policies that will help American families, and will hold firm against the reckless agenda of the Biden Administration and the Democrats in Congress. I look forward to working with Speaker Jordan.”
U.S. Rep. Barry Moore agreed and is fully supporting Jordan, a fellow Freedom Caucus member.
“Today is the day to unite and elect Jim Jordan as Speaker of the House,” Moore said. “He is a strong leader with a proven track record of getting wins for the American people, which is exactly what our country needs in a time of crisis at home and afar.”