Butler's Mike Kelly again votes against Jim Jordan for House speaker

A Republican congressman from Western Pennsylvania again voted against U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, being named House speaker.

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler, instead voted for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. Jordan for a third time failed to garner the necessary votes to become speaker.

This comes about two weeks after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted from the top House position in a historic vote spearheaded by hard-right conservatives.

The House has been at a standstill since, as Republicans have struggled to unify under a candidate with enough support to win the gavel in a House narrowly controlled by a divided GOP.

Kelly had been the lone member of Pennsylvania’s Republican delegation to vote against Jordan in two prior rounds of voting earlier this week.

“The last two weeks have featured a difference of opinions on who the next speaker should be,” Kelly said, adding that he felt Jordan “has done, and will continue to do, excellent work investigating the Biden family through his role as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.”

“I support him in that role,” Kelly said. “The American people deserve someone as speaker who will unite the conference, get to work and get the job done.”

On Friday, a second Pennsylvania Republican also voted against Jordan. U.S. Rep Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County cast his vote for Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, R-N.C.

The Washington Post reported that Fitzpatrick, who had backed Jordan on the first two ballots, told reporters ahead of Friday’s vote that he would vote for McHenry if a third vote was called.

This comes after Kelly earlier this week issued a resolution that would temporarily expand McHenry’s powers for a month or until a new speaker is elected. Jordan initially backed that plan Thursday, but later changed course and called for another vote for speaker instead.

Without such a resolution or a new speaker, the House cannot conduct business to avert a looming federal government shutdown or to provide support to Israel or Ukraine.

Jordan on Friday garnered only 194 supporters, fewer than the 199 votes cast in his favor in the prior vote Wednesday.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York on Friday earned 210 votes. McHenry tallied six votes, Scalise eight and McCarthy two.

U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, chief deputy whip in the House, again voted for Jordan.

After failing to clinch the gavel in a third vote Friday, Jordan was removed as the speaker designee. House Republicans in a closed-door session voted for Jordan to step aside, leaving the party without a nominee.

“After today’s vote among House Republicans, the majority of the conference believes Jim Jordan does not have a clear path to the speakership,” Kelly said.