What they’re saying: “When you’re going in the wrong direction after two rounds after two rounds, that’s obviously not a great sign,” conceded Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.), who has voted for Jordan both times.
State of play: Jordan, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, picked up votes from two defectors as well as one other Republican who was absent on Tuesday, but lost support from four others who initially voted for him.
What we’re watching: Some members are growing increasingly vocal about forcing a vote on a resolution to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.).
- I think the most appropriate approach at this point is to empower the speaker pro tem, give us the time to work as a conference, and more importantly get back to governing,” said Molinaro.
- “Generally, I would support something that would open the House,” said Gimenez.
Zoom in: Garcia plans to argue to GOP leadership that retooling their conference meetings is the key to breaking the impasse.
- “Right now, the construct is everyone gets in a room, we open a mic and it’s a therapy session … That’s not working,” he told reporters.