With the process of replacing ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) heating up in earnest this week, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has made it clear who he believes should ascend to the role, as Breitbart reports, namely, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, who also serves as chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
Paul took to X (formerly Twitter) to weigh in on the topic on Friday and to explain why he believes Jordan is the right man for the job.
The senator homed in on one particular issue that he indicated was driving his endorsement of Jordan, saying, “There are big differences in the race for speaker regarding fiscal responsibility and aid to Ukraine.”
“We need to stop funding other country's wars and fix our fiscal mess,” Paul continued. “One candidate for speaker agrees.”
Acknowledging that, as a senator, he has no say in the outcome of race in the House, Paul concluded, “If I were voting for speaker, @Jim_Jordan would have my enthusiastic support.”
Jordan noted earlier last week that he stands “against” passing an additional aid package for Ukraine, with NPR reporting that the lawmaker went so far as to say, “The most pressing issue on Americans' minds is not Ukraine.”
He continued, “It is the border situation, and it's crime on the streets. And everybody knows that. So let's address those,” building on his established record of opposition to funding the war in Ukraine.
One of Jordan's known rivals for the speaker's gavel, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) has been a consistent supporter of funding for Ukraine to the tune of billions of dollars, making for a stark contrast between the two on at least one issue of current concern.
Jordan's bid for the speakership received an additional boost on Friday when conservative heads of several organizations dispatched a letter collectively endorsing the Ohio legislator, as The Hill reported.
Signatories to the communication stated, “Congressman Jim Jordan has consistently been on the front lines for the Conservative Movement and all Americans since elected.”
The group went on, “His voting record, chairmanship of the House Freedom Caucus, and chairmanship of the committees on the Judiciary and Weaponization of the Federal Government speak to his effectiveness.”
Describing the country as sitting at a “critical crossroad,” the organization heads added, “Congress now has a choice to elect an establishment leader who adopts the same methods that infect the swamp or choose a proven and effective conservative leader who will unite the party.”
Perhaps carrying the most weight, in terms of an endorsement for the speaker's job, was a statement from former President Donald Trump who – despite some early talk that he might assume the role himself for a short period – also threw his support behind Jordan's candidacy late last week.
Declaring Jordan to be “STRONG on Crime, Borders, our Military/Vets, & 2nd Amendment,” Trump opined that Jordan “will be a GREAT Speaker of the House” and offered his “Complete & Total Endorsement,” and given the former president's status as the clear GOP primary frontrunner for 2024, those words may prove very influential, indeed, as Republicans make their choice in the coming days.
