Rep. Lawler witholds support from Rep. Jim Jordan’s bid for House speaker

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-17th District) has voted against Jordan for the House speaker position in both rounds.

News 12 Staff

Oct 19, 2023, 4:36 PM

Updated 416 days ago

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Republican Rep. Jim Jordan faced another setback on Wednesday as he failed to secure support on a crucial second ballot for the position of House speaker.
Despite this, Jordan, a staunch ally of Donald Trump, has shown no inclination to withdraw from the race, even as his backing from fellow GOP members diminishes.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-17th District) has voted against Jordan for the House speaker position in both rounds.
Lawler maintains a strong conviction that ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy should retain his leadership of the House and the Republican conference.
However, Lawler has thrown his support behind interim Speaker Patrick McHenry, emphasizing the urgency of allowing McHenry to temporarily take on the role. "I think it's imperative that we empower Patrick McHenry to serve at least for the time being in that speaker role so that he can get the House moving again, on critical issues especially on financial support for Israel."
Additionally, Lawler expressed his desire to witness greater bipartisan cooperation from Democrats in the ongoing House leadership contest.
In an interview with CNN, Lawler underscored that the primary challenge in this race lies in the conference's ability to collaborate effectively.