How Democrats could save the day in House speaker debacle

Far-right House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) appears to be making some headway in his quest to become speaker.

Holdouts Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Missouri), Rep. Ken Calvert (R-California) and House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Alabama) have announced that they will vote to confirm Jordan as speaker. Wagner's flip-flop was especially dramatic; she went from saying she was a "hell no" on Jordan on October 12 to offering a full endorsement on October 16.

Because Jordan — a very divisive and polarizing figure — is unlikely to receive any Democratic votes, he will need every GOP vote he can find. And he has very little wiggle room given how small the GOP's House majority is.

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In his October 16 column, liberal Washington Post opinion writer Greg Sargent lays out a bipartisan scenario in which Democrats and Republicans in the House would agree on a GOP speaker.

"With Republicans fractured and in need of saving, what should happen is that a few vulnerable members — such as those representing districts Joe Biden won in 2020 — join Democrats in supporting Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) for the position," Sargent argues. "But that's unlikely, because any Republicans who dare to do this would see their careers implode. The next best thing, then, is a deal that both sides can accept."

Sargent adds, "Republicans will have to offer meaningful concessions to Democrats to have any hope of getting their support for a consensus, relatively moderate GOP speaker."

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who chairs the House Progressive Caucus, told Sargent, "A real power-sharing agreement means shared control over what does and doesn't come to the floor."

READ MORE: GOP lawmaker who was a 'hell no' on Jim Jordan speaker nomination flip-flops and offers full support

One of the reforms that Sargent calls for is changing is the "motion to vacate" rule "so that a single member can't force a snap vote to remove the speaker on a whim." Another is "a mechanism that would give" Democrats "more leverage over what bills get a floor vote, even on things many Republicans oppose."

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) told Sargent, "It would seem to go without saying that if they want our help, they can't use the spending power to try to defund federal prosecution of corrupt, insurrectionist, coup-plotting, classified-document-pilfering would-be dictators at-large."

READ MORE: The disaster that is Jim Jordan

Read Greg Sargent's full Washington Post column at this link (subscription required).