I can’t help but wonder if staffers for House Judiciary Chair “Gym” and House Speaker Mikey Johnson have hired food tasters for their bosses. At least for today and tomorrow while the ‘Trump-A-Palooza is taking place in Dallas. Jordan made news by saying he intends to step away as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee rather than seek a (GOP rules) waiver for a third stint. Of course it’s quite likely he’d be Ranking Member come January but that might not be his reason for stepping aside. He might have grander ambitions than being merely the Chair/Ranking member of one of the most powerful Committees.
Prior to his current role Jordan Chaired another hugely powerful Committee – Oversight. As this article from Politico tells us he says he won’t be seeking a return to Chair (or be Ranking Member) of that committee either. At first glance for most people (including more than a few Republicans) this seems like good news. However when you think about it you have to wonder why Jordan has made this announcement. To me, a guy who loves the limelight who loves the spotlight so much doesn’t walk into the shadows. Unless he’s seeking a a new, brighter spotlight. But let’s start with what we know for sure:
Rep. Jim Jordan said Wednesday he plans to end his eight-year run leading Republicans on two of the House’s most prominent committees after this Congress, raising fresh questions about what comes next for the veteran Ohio lawmaker.
Jordan, 62, said in an interview on the sidelines of the Republican midterm convention that he has no plans to seek a waiver of the GOP’s three-term limit on committee leaders to retain the top spot on the Judiciary Committee.
Nor, he said, would he seek to return to lead Republicans on the House Oversight Committee, where he previously served as ranking member from 2019 to 2020, when he took the GOP reins at Judiciary.
“No, I don’t plan to do that,” Jordan said. “There’s other people who are very interested in Oversight.”
As I said Jordan isn’t the type to simple give up power or the spotlight. He’s almost certainly got plans he hasn’t yet announced but speculation has already started that he plans to challenge Mike Johnson. Let’s face it. Johnson is toast if the GOP loses control of the House. Also, being Trump’s lapdog might not be enough to save him if Republicans beat the odds and retain control. If you recall, Jordan made a brief attempt at the Speaker’s Gavel before Johnson was crowned as the ‘someone everybody can live with’ candidate and won the job. Jordan and Steve Scalise were about to engage in an epic battle that, after the Kevin McCarthy debacle Republicans didn’t want.
It will be interesting to see if Scalise still is interested in top leadership of the GOP House Caucus. That’s another article for another time. At the moment Jordan is dropping hints that yes, he wants the top (in the GOP at least) job. Ok, so he’s talking about concentrating on (the GOP) winning but it sure seems like he’s prepping to take on Johnson:
After flatly denying plans to retain a committee gavel, Jordan was far less direct in addressing other questions about his future in the House.
“I’m focused on one thing, one thing only: winning,” he said. “If the left wins, where they want to take the country is very, very scary.”
Jordan, for instance, did not rule out running against Speaker Mike Johnson for the gavel if Republicans hold onto House majority this fall.
“As I said, I’m focused on winning. We got to win,” he said when asked if he could challenge Johnson, adding “that’s why I’ve been … in 15 different states, and so we just keep going to help our colleagues and candidates.”
Two things in that jump out at me. First is that Jordan didn’t flatly deny interest in knocking Johnson off the podium. Second was him talking about being in 15 different states helping other candidates. In other words building goodwill, and correct me if I’m wrong but Johnson hasn’t been out there doing what Jordan’s been doing. Also, Johnson is milquetoast and from a fundraising standpoint Jordan would likely be far more effective.
Here’s what I find interesting to ponder. Unless something changes Republicans are likely to lose control of the House. Judiciary is as I said one of the most visible and powerful committees. So is Oversight. Even as Ranking Member of either committee Jordan would get his share of time on TV and as Ranking Member could throw lots of grenades into Democrat’s investigations into the Trump administration.
As Minority Leader? Ask yourself how much you see of Hakeem Jeffries. Sure, Jordan would get plenty of airtime on Fox News but that’s playing to the already brainwashed. No, he could get a lot more exposure as Ranking Member of either Judiciary or Oversight which are going to be on every network a lot for two years! That’s part of why ole ‘Gym’ is being a bit coy for the moment. While it’s true starting a fight with Johnson for leadership of the GOP Caucus is the last thing they need right now it’s also Jordan hedging his bets.
If the GOP loses control of the House Jordan’s profile will drop like Trump’s approval ratings. Perhaps enough that voters in his District will realize he’s never done jack for them. Ten bucks says if Democrats gain control Jordan reneges on what he promised today and makes an attempt to become Ranking Member of either Judiciary or Oversight.
