Key Georgia Republicans are rallying behind U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan in his bid to become House speaker ahead of a noon vote on the leadership post. But the Ohioan’s quest for the gavel still remains in doubt.
Jordan spent the last three days recruiting GOP holdouts after fending off a surprise challenge from U.S. Rep. Austin Scott of Tifton. The low-key Georgian pledged to back Jordan after his defeat.
Still, it’s unclear whether Jordan, a founder of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, has won over enough mainstream Republicans to vault him to the top spot in the chamber, now vacant for two weeks. Some in the fractured caucus remain staunchly opposed to Jordan, who now heads investigations into President Joe Biden and his son Hunter as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Jordan’s Georgia allies are working overtime to build support. U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk urged his colleagues to rally around Jordan in hopes he could lock down the 217 votes needed to seal the speakership.
“He is the right man for the job. We have been working nonstop to hold the reckless and corrupt Biden administration accountable,” the Cassville Republican wrote to constituents.
As of Monday night, a half-dozen or so GOP lawmakers indicated they still don’t support Jordan — enough to scuttle his bid. His critics have expressed doubts that he’s the right leader to marshal the party’s thin majority heading into a contentious election year.
Loudermilk said he is confident Jordan will pull out a win, though he said it could be another tumultuous day.
“We all wanted to get to 217 before we go to the floor,” he said. “What we found out is that’s not going to happen. You’re going to have to get as close as you can, go to the floor, and see where things fall out.”
The speaker election will mark the 17th roll call vote of the year to determine who leads the House. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California needed 15 rounds to win the speakership in January and was then removed from the post via roll call vote earlier this month.
The pressure campaign is only ratcheting up, as conservative media and former President Donald Trump push for Jordan. He has chipped away at the 81 lawmakers who sided against him last week.
One of them is U.S. Rep. Rick Allen of Augusta, who voted for Scott on Friday but then immediately pledged his loyalty to Jordan.
“Jim won the majority last Friday,” Allen said. “And I walked up to him and said, ‘You have my full support, and I’ll do whatever I need to do to help you get elected.’”
***
LISTEN UP. U.S. Rep. Austin Scott takes The Jolt’s Tia Mitchell behind his bid for House speaker. He explains that he came to the decision so quickly he didn’t even notify fellow Republicans in the Georgia delegation ahead of time. He did wisely tell his wife, though.
Scott’s interview and more are featured in Monday’s edition of the Politically Georgia podcast. And remember you can soon get your PG live, five days a week, when we begin airing at 11 a.m. weekdays on WABE-Atlanta. That starts at the end of the month.
Listen to Monday’s episode now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts.
***
DA OVERSIGHT, TBD. Two weeks have passed since the state’s new prosecutorial oversight commission began accepting complaints. Still, little is known about how the panel will operate.
Officials say the commission’s regulations can’t take effect until approved by the state’s Supreme Court. Justices received the proposed rules on Sept. 30.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
The commission posted a job opening that same day for a director to help handle complaints, negotiate resolutions and carry out sanctions when necessary.
So far, at least one complaint has been filed: state Senate Republican leaders asked the commission to investigate Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for her criminal indictment of former President Donald Trump and his allies.
***
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
MAINOR EVENT. In one of her many public events since switching parties, newly minted Republican state Rep. Mesha Mainor of Atlanta will hold a “South Fulton Speaks” town hall event Thursday at the state Capitol.
Mainor bolted to the GOP earlier this year and quickly became a regular on the local GOP speaking circuit. Yet her stint in the Legislature as a Republican might be short-lived. She represents one of the most heavily Democratic districts in the state, and Democrats had vowed to oust her from office even before she left for the GOP.
Still, she insists she will seek another term, and the town hall could offer a glimpse of her political strategy. Notably, Mainor said she’s invited Republican state Rep. Matt Reeves, who represents a Duluth-based district, and Democratic state Sen. Donzella James of Atlanta to attend with her.
***
ZIP IT. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene attended Monday’s federal court hearing that resulted in former President Donald Trump’s new gag order.
Greene was in the Washington, D.C. courtroom to show her support for Trump. She said she was not happy with Judge Tanya Chutkan’s ruling that limits what Trump can say about prosecutors, court personnel and witnesses in the federal case accusing him of trying to overturn the 2020 election. Trump himself did not attend the hearing.
Speaking to the media afterward, Greene said the gag order will unfairly limit what Trump can say as he campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination.
“This is meant to hurt him politically; this is meant to sway public opinion. And public opinion is what guides how people vote,” the Rome Republican said. " … So obviously, everyone will see this for exactly what it is. It’s weaponized government, which we should never see in the United States of America.”
Judge Chutkan did not grant the Department of Justice’s request to also prevent Trump from making disparaging comments about Washington, D.C., where the trial will be held, or the Justice Department in general.
As part of his bond agreement in a Fulton County case also related to the 2020 election, Trump agreed not to intimidate or threaten witnesses, co-defendants and others. Trump is also under a gag order in a third case in New York.
Today, a Democrat judge issued an order gagging President Trump, destroying the First Amendment.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) October 16, 2023
The judge made her courtroom the Ministry of Truth.
She said the case isn’t about the court of public opinion, yet she allows the media to sit in her courtroom, the very people who… pic.twitter.com/wzlKjPzEME
***
CANCELLATION CONTRACT: Voting rights groups have warned the election board in Columbia County against working with EagleAI, a company peddling software to help cancel voter registrations.
A contract with EagleAI could be considered during an election board meeting Tuesday. Columbia County is in suburban Augusta and is to home 160,000 Georgians.
“We are also concerned that anti-voter extremists will use EagleAI to strip eligible voters from the rolls through mass voter challenges and by advocating for aggressive voter purges — adding to the threats our democracy is facing as we look ahead to 2024,” according to a letter from Fair Fight, Represent GA Action Network, Georgia Youth Justice Coalition and the New Georgia Project Action Fund.
The groups wrote that they fear EagleAI would rely on sources such as newspaper obituaries and property tax records that might not always accurately identify voters by full name or current residential address.
“EagleAI cannot be trusted to provide reliable information regarding who on the voter rolls is not eligible to remain there,” according to a separate letter from the ACLU of Georgia, All Voting is Local, Campaign Legal Center, Coalition for the People’s Agenda, New Georgia Project Action Fund and Fund United to Protect Democracy. “It will point you towards false positives and waste your staff’s time.”
The secretary of state’s office already canceled 189,000 outdated voter registrations last month.
***
TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden has no public events planned but departs tonight for Israel, where he will show U.S. support for its ally in its conflict with Hamas militants.
- The U.S. House votes to elect a new speaker at noon, with Jim Jordan of Ohio hoping to get enough support from fellow Republicans to win the job.
- The U.S. Senate has more confirmation votes lined up.
***
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
ATLANTA COUNCIL BACKS ISRAEL. Atlanta City Council members unanimously approved a resolution Monday condemning “Hamas’ acts of terror” on Israel. Gaza-based militants invaded their neighbor on Oct. 7, killing 1,300 Israelis.
The AJC’s Riley Bunch reports the council measure recognizes Israel’s “right to defend itself when attacked” while calling for peace in the wake of civilian deaths both in Israel and Palestine.
***
Credit: J. Scott Trubey/AJC
Credit: J. Scott Trubey/AJC
DEEPENING PUSH. History tells us the new effort to dredge another few feet off the Savannah River’s bottom will require a bipartisan blitz involving federal, state and local elected officials. The Jolt’s Greg Bluestein talked to leaders about how they met challenges to the last deepening, which began in 1986 and was completed just last year, and what to expect as they look to dig again.
Georgia Ports officials recently acknowledged they’ve requested authorization from Congress to seek a study to deepen and widen the shipping lane that leads to the Port of Savannah. The port is the third busiest in the nation behind Los Angeles/Long Beach and New York/New Jersey.
***
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
DOG OF THE DAY. With temperatures falling, it’s chili dog season, people! Chili Dog Blackwood-Paine to be specific.
Like all chili dogs, this little Chili Dog is portable, craveable and shareable, since he travels the state with his people, including former state Senate staffer Ashton Blackwood.
An extremely reliable source tells us Chili Dog also pairs well with peanut butter (we’ll take your word on that), hugs, tailgates, Georgia football and trips to Capitol Hill. We’ll take two.
Send us your dogs of any political persuasion and location, and cats on a cat-by-cat basis, to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us at @MurphyAJC.
***
AS ALWAYS, Jolt readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com and greg.bluestein@ajc.com.
