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Jim Jordan, the hardline Republican congressman from Ohio, lost a third vote to be Speaker of the US House of Representatives on Friday, paralysing the lower chamber and raising doubts about Congress’s ability to approve more aid for Israel and Ukraine.
Jordan, a close ally of former president Donald Trump, lost by a margin of 210 to 194, as 25 members of his own party — a bigger number than in the first two votes — sided with House Democrats to vote against him, deliver a crushing blow to his push for the speakership.
Republicans control the House by a small majority, meaning Jordan could only afford to lose a handful of votes from his own party to avoid defeat. It was not immediately clear whether the congressman would abandon his attempt given the scale of his latest defeat, or press ahead with a fourth floor vote.
House Republicans were locked in discussions on Friday afternoon during a closed-door meeting where they were also expected to hold a vote on whether Jordan’s candidacy should continue.
Republican opponents have criticised Jordan for failing to recognise the 2020 election results but also balked at the heavy-handed pressure campaign he launched to gain their support. Some received threats to their personal safety and that of their family members from rightwing activists after opposing his bid.
The pivotal House Speaker role has been vacant for more than two weeks, since Kevin McCarthy was ousted in early October by a group of eight firebrand conservatives.
Despite McCarthy’s humiliation by fellow Republicans earlier this year, the former Speaker delivered the speech nominating Jordan for the role.
“We are in a very bad place right now,” McCarthy told reporters on Capitol Hill after Jordan’s latest defeat. Asked if Jordan should hold another vote, he said: “That’s a question for him. Jim needs to look at it and see what he wants to do.”
He added: “It’s a problem for the party that we’re in this situation to begin with.”
The political vacuum comes as President Joe Biden has asked Congress for $106bn of new funding to help Israel and Ukraine — as well as border security and humanitarian assistance. But in the absence of a Speaker, no legislation can move through the House, which will prevent it from being approved.
Patrick McHenry, a Republican representative from North Carolina and chair of the House financial services committee, is serving as temporary Speaker, but without the power to put any bills on the floor. McHenry received six votes from House Republicans on Friday morning.
A push by some Republicans to give him additional powers for a few months in order to advance legislation while the party sought a consensus candidate for Speaker failed earlier this week, adding greater uncertainty to the US political scene.
Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democrat leader, said his party remained willing to work in a “bipartisan” fashion with Republicans to elect a new Speaker.
“Clearly, the votes do not exist in House Republican conference alone to elect a Speaker,” Jeffries said after Jordan’s third defeat. “House Republicans rejected McCarthy, House Republicans rejected [Steve] Scalise, House Republicans rejected Jordan. House Republicans have apparently rejected McHenry.”
He added Democrats would be “serious about partnering with House Republicans in a reasonable way to do the business of the American people”.
