WASHINGTON. Jim Jordan has been a congressman from Ohio, specifically from the 4th district, since 2007. After 16 years on Capitol Hill he wants to be Speaker of the House. He is one of the most conservative exponents of the entire Republican group, he is among the founders of the Freedom Caucus, the ultra-right movement in the GOP, and since 2016 when Donald Trump appeared on the scene he has been one of its closest allies. During the election campaign that year he attempted to discredit the accusation of Russian influences, he then organized a sit-in to prevent an impeachment hearing from taking place and was among the supporters of the theory of stolen elections, the narrative that he wants the 2020 presidential elections to have been a fraud to oust Trump and bring Joe Biden to the White House, a story denied at every level of judgment in every court called to rule. He is also among those who refused to collaborate with the House Commission of Inquiry into the events of January 6, 2021. Yesterday Jim Jordan obtained 200 votes in the House, 17 less than he would have needed to become Speaker. Today at 11, the deputies will do a second round of voting and then, according to statements made by Jim Jordan last night, they will do more until the Ohio deputy reaches the magic threshold.
Yesterday the Chamber experienced a historic day, the galleries and seats assigned to the media were full, the chamber was packed. Indeed, what is happening in Washington is an anomaly. The Chamber is without a Speaker, because Kevin McCarthy was ousted by his own party or, better, by 4% of his Party as he was accused – again by that 4% – of not having kept his promises and of having agreed with the Democrats to launch a budget adjustment and avoid the freezing of salaries and federal programs (it’s called a shutdown in jargon). It happened on September 30th. A few days later, Congressman Matt Gaetz, of Florida, ultra-conservative, son of a former state senator and with post-DeSantis aims (whenever he is) pulled the plug.
From that moment on, America was paralyzed. Because nothing can be done without a Speaker. Currently the role is entrusted pro tempore to MP Patrick McHenry, whose only power is to convene the session for the election of the Speaker. But he does so only when the Republicans, who have a slim majority – 221 deputies against 212, two seats are vacant – are ready to go to the chamber.
So for about two weeks the Chamber has been, let’s say, in recess, it doesn’t decide, it doesn’t decide and it keeps everything blocked as it has no powers. And there are things to do. In no particular order: dismiss Biden’s proposal to give money to Ukraine; approve new appropriations for Israel; launch a plan for border control to stay on issues closer to us. On November 17, McCarthy’s agreement with the Democrats to avoid the shutdown expires. If there is no functioning House or no agreement has been reached on the budget – which programs should be financed? Which ones to cut? How much money should we allocate to healthcare, defense, etc.? – America will be in shutdown.
In this climate of paralysis and while the world faces epochal challenges and Americans demand answers on the state of the economy, the price of fuel and the safety of cities, dangerously compromised almost everywhere, the Capitol Hill bubble is struggling to even give birth to a baby mouse.
In recent days La Stampa has been stationed in the corridors and in the legendary “basement”, the basement, of the Chamber where the deputies were very busy discussing the “Republican Conference”. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a very blonde congresswoman from Georgia, a follower of the QAnon theories at the time, a Trumpian and adored by Donald himself, a few days ago said of Steve Scalise, who before Jim Jordan attempted to climb to the Speakership: “He’s sick, let’s leave let him take care.” Scalise – who incidentally is formally the party leader in the House, not a deputy straight out of a storybook – has been diagnosed with leukemia. They say he is curable, he responds well to medicines. Yesterday he was in the chamber wearing a mask and voted for Jim Jordan.
A Democratic strategist we have met more times than ever noted how these days it seems that deputies live in a bubble, not caring about what is happening just outside. David Axelrod, who was Obama’s most listened to advisor, said something that could be a splendid political epitaph: “But if the Republicans can’t elect a Speaker, how will they ever be able to lead the country?”. The Party is split. Lincoln’s big tent isn’t even patched up, Reagan’s grand coalition is leaking, unity in the name of Bush’s compassionate conservatism is a pale memory.
With these premises, yesterday at noon the Chamber met solemnly. Jordan knew very well that he would not be able to win the majority but he chose to “force the vote” precisely to understand who those deputies were who openly voted against him. He then spent the afternoon courting them one by one. Promising what? We are not talking about top systems or sharing who knows what values. To understand how US democracy works, we must start from the principle that the Chamber represents all states proportionally. Jordan – and like him others did, it’s not his fault, that’s how it works – in recent days he would have convinced a deputy from a Western state that he would, among the first things as Speaker, bring to the chamber a law on subsidies for agriculture. And with others he discussed concrete and very particular issues, certainly of interest to the district that a deputy represents. Anthony D’Esposito, a member of the so-called “Long Island Republicans” group, voted against Jordan because he wants – he said in a statement following the vote – “a Speaker who understands the unique needs of Long Island.” Which? For example, he supports a law introduced last year that removes caps on deductions on state and local taxes, known as Salt. Reducing the race for the Speakership to a clash over who is for and who is against giving money to Ukraine is reductive and indeed misleading. Although as the Texas congressman, Sessions, said a few days ago to La Stampa: “I really doubt that the next Speaker will be strongly pro-Kiev”. And if it’s Jordan it will be exactly like that. In a ranking with grades from A to F on harmony with Ukraine (in terms of willingness to give military and economic aid) Jordan got F, the minimum.
Last night, after a second announced vote was postponed until this morning at 11am (high turn, another count, uncertain outcome) Jordan said: “I have had some excellent conversations with colleagues and no one in our group wants a coalition government with the Democrats.” So how long will you continue to vote? asked the colleague from The Hill. “Until we have a Speaker.” Which could mean days will pass because, if the 20 who voted against Jordan yesterday do not redeem themselves on the path to Washington, then we will continue until either Jordan throws in the towel or another candidate is found. On the other hand, in January 15 ballots were needed to vote for McCarthy.
Politics? Surely. But time is running out and it doesn’t make any concessions. There are 30 days left until the shutdown and this week the Biden administration intends to bring a resolution to Capitol Hill asking for 100 billion dollars to be allocated to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other hot fronts. In these conditions it is impossible to reject the proposal.
So the vote that took place yesterday was “cognitive”. Who are the “enemies”? What signals do they send? The Democrats observed with curiosity, some mockery, as when Congresswoman Lee stood up and said, declaring her vote: “Let’s save democracy, I’m voting for Hakeem Jeffries.” The latter is the democratic leader who as a candidate from his party – as usual – received 212 votes for Speaker. There were several rounds of applause, symbolic and always partisan, except for a recently widowed deputy. Pelosi moved, McCarthy (voted for Jordan) acclaimed, Scalise too. All eyes on Nancy Mace, one of the eight who shot McCarthy and who the reporter at La Stampa said was wearing Taylor Swift style boots. The only one who today would become Speaker by acclamation.
McCarthy and Jim Jordan whispered for a long time, some deputies in stentorian voices declaimed their support for one or the other candidate or even a third (20 Republicans abandoned Jordan). Applause, some small protests, some laughter and tension under control. It will warm up again today. Meanwhile, amid all the hubbub, Anna Paulina Luna, a 34-year-old Republican from Florida, was walking around the chamber with the baby she gave birth to on August 26. She is the twelfth woman to become a mother during the legislature, the first to do so in the first legislature. She radiant in red. The baby was also cradled by other deputies. At least here in a bipartisan spirit.
#basement #Capitol #Hill #classroom #discovering #troubles #democracy