Reports: Jim Jordan Won't Seek a 3rd Speaker Vote

After losing two votes for the House speakership, Jim Jordan will forgo a third, reports the Washington Post and CNN. The conservative Republican is instead expected to back a plan to allow interim Speaker Patrick McHenry to remain in the post longer, with increased powers, per Axios. The plan was to be fleshed out Thursday afternoon in a meeting of the House Republican conference, reports the Wall Street Journal. Jordan lost the first vote on Tuesday, then lost again on Wednesday by an even bigger margin.

To be clear, Jordan isn't ending his bid to become speaker eventually, notes Axios. He'll remain the "speaker designee," having won the majority of votes to seek the post among Republicans. The House has been without a speaker since Kevin McCarthy was ousted by members of the right flank on Oct. 3, and congressional business has come to a standstill in that time. Giving McHenry more power would end that logjam. (More Jim Jordan stories.)