WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Tuesday chose Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, to lead them in the next Congress, while Senate Republicans kept Sen. John Thune of South Dakota as their leader after a debate over whether to delay the vote following last week’s midterm losses.
Jordan defeated House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana 106-73 in a closed-door secret ballot, according to tallies that Republican lawmakers in the room gave to NBC News and CBS News. He will become minority leader when the 120th Congress convenes in January, succeeding Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana as the top House Republican. Johnson said the day after the election that he would not seek the post.
“Over the next two years, House Republicans will fight for American families,” Jordan told reporters after the vote. “When Democrats offer more government, we’ll offer more freedom, and we will bring that fight in committee, on the floor and on the stump every single day.” He did not take questions, CBS News reported.
Jordan, 62, a co-founder and the first chairman of the House Freedom Caucus and a close ally of President Trump, pitched colleagues on his experience leading the Oversight and Judiciary committees as Democrats prepare to investigate the administration. “I am battle-tested on the oversight front and I know the Democrats’ playbook,” he wrote to fellow Republicans, according to NBC News.
Scalise, who has served in House GOP leadership for more than a decade, argued that he was better suited to win back swing seats. “I’ve got a proven record,” he told reporters after the candidate forum. “I could go to the most ruby red or the most swing district, and we’re going to have to go back to those swing districts we lost.” Johnson, who would not say how he voted, called Jordan and Scalise “both my brothers” and said, “It is easier to keep a group together when you’re in the minority,” CBS News reported.
The rest of the House GOP team stayed largely in place. Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota defeated Rep. August Pfluger of Texas to remain whip, the No. 2 post in the minority, and Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan turned back challenges from Reps. Erin Houchin of Indiana and Greg Steube of Florida, NBC News reported.
Thune stays on in the Senate
Across the Capitol, Senate Republicans reelected Thune by acclamation, meaning no senator dissented, his spokesman Ryan Wrasse told NBC News. Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming, Conference Chair Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Vice Chair James Lankford of Oklahoma and Policy Committee Chair Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia were also reelected, and Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio was chosen to chair the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Roll Call reported.
The vote came after a group of Republicans led by Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin pushed to postpone the elections. The conference voted 31-15 to proceed, Axios reported. “This has never been anything against John Thune,” Johnson said, according to Roll Call. “What I didn’t agree with was holding the election right away, giving nobody an opportunity to really challenge any leadership position.” Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said voters were reacting to gas prices, the war with Iran and the cost of living, not to how Senate leaders ran the conference.
Thune said in a statement that he was “honored to have their continued trust and support to lead the Senate Republican Conference in the 120th Congress,” CNBC reported. He told reporters he would not apologize for the conference’s record. “Given the constraints we had to deal with, all the stuff that was coming at us on a daily basis, a narrow margin in the House, the White House, the Democrats over here who were obstructing two long government shutdowns — I think we came out of it as well as could have been expected, and got a lot of stuff done,” he said, according to Roll Call.
Senate Republicans also adopted a resolution, prompted by Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, saying the conference “will maximize the 54 days we have with congressional majorities” to confirm judicial and executive nominees, pass “core Republican priorities” and try to pass a reconciliation bill before Jan. 3, Roll Call reported. Thune said the Senate would extend its calendar to move nominees and fund the government before the Dec. 11 deadline.
Hegseth impeachment resolution set aside
Hours after the leadership votes, the House voted 211-204 to refer Rep. Thomas Massie’s impeachment resolution against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Judiciary Committee, effectively shelving it, according to CBS News. Massie, an outgoing Kentucky Republican, was the only Republican to vote no, and 11 Democrats did not vote. Hegseth had called the effort “a political spectacle” earlier in the day, and Johnson said Republicans would “dispense with the impeachment gambit.” Massie said he would force a vote on a war powers resolution next.
Democrats choose their leaders later
Democrats, who will hold the House and Senate majorities in January, have not yet voted on their leaders. House Democrats plan to choose their team next week, and Senate Democrats will meet in early December, NBC News reported. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York is unopposed for speaker so far. In the Senate, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said Tuesday he would not support Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York for majority leader, while Schumer said he was “confident” he would be elected, CBS News reported.
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