House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Friday reiterated the need for bipartisanship amid the race for Speaker — but suggested the Republicans’ most recent choice wasn’t the answer.
House Republicans delivered Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) the second GOP nomination for the leadership role on Friday — a day after first choice and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) withdrew from the race.
“House Republicans have selected as their nominee to be the Speaker of the people’s House the chairman of the chaos caucus,” Jeffries told reporters following the vote, referring to the House Freedom Caucus.
He argued the Ohio Republican is also “a defender in a dangerous way of dysfunction, and an extremist extraordinaire.”
“His focus has been on peddling lies and conspiracy theories and driving division amongst the American people,” he added.
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Scalise dropped from the race when it became apparent he would struggle to garner the 217 votes needed to advance. In response, Jeffries said Republicans need to “get their act together” and nominate a more traditional member of their party.
“That’s why it’s so urgently necessary that the Republicans get their act together and elect the Speaker from within their own ranks, as it is the responsibility of the majority party to do so,” he said Thursday, “or have traditional Republicans break with the extremists within the House Republican Conference and partner with Democrats on a bipartisan path forward.”
Jeffries also re-upped his call for a bipartisan coalition, claiming Democrats are “ready, willing and able.”
“I know there are traditional Republicans who are good women and men who want to see government function, but they are unable to do it within the ranks of their own conference, which is dominated by the extremist wing,” he said.
Democrats unanimously put Jeffries forward to be Speaker earlier this week — but it is even less likely that he would get enough votes with the GOP majority. Still, Democrats say Republicans have to make concessions if they want the minority party’s help nominating a Speaker.
“House Democrats have repeatedly offered bipartisanship. Will Republicans continue to choose chaos, dysfunction and extremism?” Jeffries said Saturday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Jeffries’ remarks came 10 days after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted from the position. Eight Republicans and all Democratic representatives voted to remove McCarthy’s gavel.
On Friday, the former Speaker put his support behind Jordan.
“I support Jim Jordan fully, Jim was a great ally to me. He worked hard,” McCarthy said. “We came into Congress together.”
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) is serving as acting Speaker, but without a confirmed leader, the House cannot vote on legislation. While lawmakers recessed for the weekend, a floor vote on Jordan is expected next week.