Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) told CNN he is against sending more money to Ukraine and would not allow it should he become speaker of the House of Representatives.
"What about Ukraine? Are you willing to move forward with an aid package if you're speaker?" CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju asked.
"I'm against that. What I understand is at some point we're going to have to deal with this appropriations process in the right way. And we're going to try to do that in the next...41 days. The most pressing issue on American's mind is not Ukraine," Jordan replied. "It is the border situation and crime on the streets."
"I'm against that," Jim Jordan, a candidate for speaker, says of an aid package for Ukraine, going further than McCarthy.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 4, 2023
"The most pressing issue on Americans' mind is not Ukraine -- it is the border situation, it's crime on streets."
Said he would see what Senate sends to House pic.twitter.com/qpOrNZoyIc
In his letter to House Republicans, Jordan made his case to be elected speaker:
We agreed at the beginning of the Congress that there are three fundamental things the House must do: pass the bills that need to be passed, do the oversight, and rein in the spending. Working with Chairman Green and our leadership, I helped to deliver the most significant legislative accomplishment this Congress: the strongest immigration and border enforcement bill ever. With other committee chairs and the members of the Judiciary Committee, I am doing the oversight and holding the Administration accountable. And I have been among the leaders in pushing for fiscal discipline my entire career.
"We are at a critical crossroad in our nation's history. Now is the time for our Republican conference to come together to keep our promises to Americans. The problems we face are challenging, but they are not insurmountable. We can focus on the changes that improve the country and unite us in offering real solutions," Jordan added.
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) is also in the running for the top position. The election for speaker of the House will take place next Wednesday.