4:21 p.m. ET, October 18, 2023
Home Democrats haven’t but decided on decision to empower McHenry
From CNN’s Sam Fossum, Manu Raju and Clare Foran
Speaker of the Home Professional Tempore Patrick McHenry presides previous to a second spherical of voting to elect a brand new Speaker of the Home on the ground of the Home of Representatives on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 18.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
Home Democratic chief Hakeem Jeffries informed CNN on Wednesday that his caucus has not but decided on whether or not to again a Republican decision that might assert that interim Home Speaker Patrick McHenry has legislative energy overseeing the chamber ground on a short lived foundation.
Jeffries mentioned the very first thing Democrats are aiming to realize is to cease Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan’s bid for the speakership.
The New York Democrat mentioned that if Ohio Rep. Dave Joyce brings ahead his decision to empower McHenry and try to power a vote in the present day, then Democrats would meet behind closed doorways and determine whether or not to vote for it. Democratic votes are anticipated to be important for the decision’s probabilities of passage as a result of the GOP is cut up on such a measure.
“We’ve not had that dialogue but as a caucus,” Jeffries informed CNN.
“Jim Jordan remains to be the speaker nominee. And our function is to guard a transparent and current hazard to our democracy and the poster little one for MAGA extremism from turning into the speaker,” Jeffries mentioned.
“The Republicans have to finish this saga, versus us having one other futile effort to raise and insurrectionists to steer the Home of Representatives,” he added.
Home Minority Whip Katherine Clark, the No. 2 Democrat within the chamber, informed CNN that Democrats hope Republicans will come to them after Jordan’s second failed speakership bid.
“The ball is of their court docket. That is their civil warfare. They’re the bulk. They must elect a speaker,” Clark informed CNN.
Former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi additionally mentioned that it’s as much as Republicans to make the primary transfer.
“They’ve their majority, they received the election. It is their duty to elect their speaker,” the California Democrat mentioned. “Our chief, Hakeem Jeffries, has been magnificent in saying there is a path for us to work collectively. However clearly they haven’t taken benefit of that.”
Pelosi additionally known as it a “actual triumph for democracy” that Jordan misplaced the ground vote in the present day.
“Actually, it is a massive reduction that no matter his title is did not win in the present day, as a result of it will have been a horrible factor. Two steps away from the presidency,” she informed CNN.
