Conservative Backlash Sinks McHenry Plan, 3rd Speaker Ballot Expected Today

A bellicose response yesterday from conservative House Republicans appears to have torpedoed a plan to temporarily empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) to move legislation.

• The plan, which was floated by the moderate bloc of Republicans opposed to the speaker bid of Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan's (R-OH), would have given McHenry short-term powers to bring to the floor key legislation on government funding, Ukraine, Israel, and the US-Mexico border and allowed House Republicans additional time to elect a speaker.
• Jordan told reporters after a House Republican conference meeting: "We made the pitch to members on the [McHenry resolution] as a way to lower the temperature... We decided that wasn't where we're gonna go. I'm still running for speaker and I plan to go to the floor and get the votes and win this race."
• A spokesperson for Jordan said he will hold a presser at 08:00 13:00 BST with a floor vote planned for 10:00 ET 15:00 BST.
• Reports from Capitol Hill indicate that the majority of the 22 votes against Jordan are unlikely to flip in a third ballot. Jake Sherman at Punchbowl News writes: "Every Republican who met with Jordan [yesterday] told him they would not back his candidacy for House speaker, according to multiple sources in the room."