Jim Jordan touts GOP’s most 'significant' achievement in speaker bid — bit there’s one glaring problem
05 October 2023
After Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) was ousted as House speaker, far-right Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — who chairs the House Judiciary Committee — announced his plans to seek the position. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) is also interested.
Jordan, in a five-paragraph letter, made his case for choosing him as House speaker — including his role in the Secure the Border Act, which he described as a "significant legislative achievement."
But MSNBC's Steve Benen, in a biting MaddowBlog opinion column published on October 5, stresses that the Secure the Border Act "had no impact whatsoever on American governance."
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Benen describes Jordan as the type of far-right Republican who is more interested in performative antics than he is in actual governing — and slams the Secure the Border Act as a prime example.
"After it cleared the chamber," Benen explains, "the legislation went to the Senate, where the chamber's Democratic leaders acted swiftly — putting the bill on a shelf, never to be seen again. In other words, what Jordan considers 'the most significant legislative accomplishment' of this Congress was, for all intents and purposes, a messaging bill. Republicans put together a far-right package, with no Democratic input, and without regard for what might be able to pass the Senate or generate White House support."
Benen, a "Rachel Maddow Show" producer, continues, "The 'Secure the Border Act' was about House Republicans thumping their chests, satisfying their base, and engaging in self-indulgent theater. To be sure, this wasn't exactly unique: Members of Congress have been thumping their chests, satisfying their base, and engaging in self-indulgent theater for generations."
READ MORE:Jim Jordan’s 'pathetic' House speaker run fires up critics: 'Utter bonkers chaos'
Read Steve Benen's full MSNBC opinion column at this link.