More than 40 Conservative leaders and lawmakers have started a campaign to lobby House Freedom Caucus member Jim Jordan of Ohio to replace Paul Ryan the current US Speaker of the House.
Forty prominent conservative leaders have sent a letter to Congressman Jordan on Friday, urging him to replace Paul Ryan (R-WI) as the next Speaker of the House.
In the letter, the conservative leaders argued that the current House leadership has “utterly failed” and “proven that it’s part of the Swamp.” The conservatives believe that Jordan is the solution to the current House leadership.
Ryan has endorsed House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, to become the next Speaker and Axios reports that “President Trump loves McCarthy, and consults him frequently for advice.” This said, many GOP lawmakers, instead, wish to see Jordan take the top House leadership position.
One Republican Study Committee (RSC) lawmaker told the Hill, “That might be the perfect job for Jim Jordan because of his fighting attitude and his fighting spirit; he doesn’t back down.”
When asked about the letter, Jordan told Axios, “the American people want results, and I’m committed to bringing that change. It’s as simple as this — doing what we told the voters we would do.”
Paul Ryan won't seek re-election
US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, dealing a blow to the Republican Party just months ahead of pivotal congressional elections, has said he will not seek re-election to Congress in November and will relinquish his leadership post at the start of 2019.
Ryan, who portrayed his decision as one driven by wanting to spend more time with his family, has had a rocky relationship with Republican President Donald Trump and radical conservatives. Asked to what degree Trump’s presidency influenced his decision not to seek re-election, Ryan said, “Not at all.”
After months of speculation that he would retire, the 48-year-old Republican speaker announced his decision, setting up a struggle for succession among House Republicans amid mounting concern about the party’s prospects in November, when Democrats are seeking to regain control of Congress from Trump’s fellow Republicans.