Conservative Leaders Urge Jordan to Run for Speaker

A group of 144 “conservative leaders” signed a letter Monday urging Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, House Freedom Caucus co-founder, to run for speaker of the House because “it’s time to clean house” to “drain the swamp.”

Taking a shot at House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, the signers said they support Jordan because “the present House Republican leadership has proven that it’s part of ‘the swamp,’” not the solution to it:

Consequently, a vote to promote any member of today’s House GOP leadership is a vote for the Swamp. It’s time to Clean House.

There must be a real race for Speaker of the House. Now. No backroom deals. A real race, starting this spring, to make every incumbent and candidate commit on the record, as a campaign issue, whether they’ll vote to save the Swamp or drain it.

America needs you to declare yourself as a candidate for Speaker at once. We write to you on behalf of millions of Americans who want Congress to Drain the Swamp.

According to the Daily Caller, the letter is the latest development in a story that began in April, when Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) announced he would not run for reelection.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) are also possible replacements for Ryan.

Jordan is a member of the House Committee on the Judiciary and the House on Oversight and Government Reform. He also served as the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus before North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) succeeded him.

Although Jordan hasn’t officially launched a bid for Speaker, has been encouraged by colleagues to consider doing so, and Jordan says he will seriously do that.

Jordan thinks the primary focus for Republicans right now should be on maintaining their House majority and ensuring the next speaker is committed to making good on what the party promised voters in 2016.

During a speech last week, Jordan said just that: it is time for congressional Republicans to deliver on the policies they promised voters in the last election cycle:

What did you tell the American people you were going to do? Go do that. There is one guy who is doing that right now, and not all of us in this room supported him when he ran for president. He is doing what he said he would do.

Jordan raddled off a laundry list of accomplishments on the part of President Donald J. Trump’s administration — cutting taxes, getting Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch on the bench, eliminating the Iran Deal, and moving the embassy to Jerusalem.

“Compare and contrast that to Congress. Think about this: other than the tax cuts, you tell me what Congress has done that is worth while. You tell me what we have done that is consistent with the promises we made the American people in that election, on that day, Nov. 8, 2016?” Jordan asked.

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