Tipsheet

Jim Banks Sure Has a Lot to Say About Move to Empower Acting Speaker Pro Tempore McHenry

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  October 19, 2023 5:20 PM

With the House in chaotic disarray without a speaker, the move at one point on Thursday looked to be to empower Acting Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC), though as the day went on, opposition to that plan grew. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) remains the Republican nominee for speaker, after he earned the votes last Friday in conference, but failed to earn enough votes in the House on the first two rounds. Jordan "is not dropping out," a source familiar with the situation told Townhall earlier on Thursday.

Some of Jordan's allies were a little less than pleased about the situation, Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) chief among them. He's been particularly vocal when it comes to the posts and reposts from his official and political X accounts throughout Thursday, as well as in an statement provided exclusively to Townhall.

"Expanding powers for a temporary Speaker would establish a dangerous precedent and hand our majority over to the Democrats. I refuse to go along with this massive betrayal of our voters and will vote against any effort to install a temporary Speaker," he told Townhall. "Our country is at stake, and Democrats are entirely committed to advancing the cause of the radical left. Republicans need to get serious."

With his posts, Banks made it clear he is committed to voting for Jordan, for "as long as it takes," as well as opposing working with Democrats. 

"I will oppose any efforts to hand our majority back over to the Democrats or any other foolish move by Republicans to screw our voters," he made clear in a post.

Recommended

Liberal Media Is Already Melting Down Over Pam Bondi Sarah Arnold
Trump Has a New Attorney General Nominee Matt Vespa

Perhaps one of the strongest points from Banks, who is running for Senate next year to replace retiring Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), had to do with the Republican Party's ability to hold onto the majority.

"If Republicans hand our majority away, I don’t see us getting it back anytime soon," it simply read. Republicans currently have a particularly narrow majority in the House following the 2022 midterm elections, and Democrats are already aiming to get it back next year.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who is also in strong support of Jordan, posted his opposition to empowering McHenry on Wednesday and Thursday, highlighting how the resolution would need to pass with support from Democrats.

He also raised concerns that it was a "constitutionally questionable precedent to empower someone who is NOT the duly elected Speaker..."

As Katie mentioned in her coverage from earlier on Thursday, "Democrats are licking their chops at the prospect House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries could assume the position or at the very least, increase Democrat power over the legislative process," with Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) looking to see what concessions she could get out of agreeing to such a move.

A post from Roy on Wednesday night warned about Republicans losing the majority in 2024, in particularly stark terms, as he referenced "an unforgivable step to coalition government & likely decimation in 2024."

It looks as if a vote for Jordan could take place later on Thursday, according to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), another Jordan supporter. She shared a clip of the nominee speaking to how he had initially offered the idea of empowering McHenry "as a way to lower the temperature and get back to work," though they "decided that wasn't where we were going to go." 

Although plans about what to do about empowering McHenry might be ever changing, what remains is that Jordan is still in the race for speaker. He wanted to speak to those 20 fellow Republicans who had voted against him, and he intends to win the fight. 

"I'm still running for speaker and I plan to go to the floor and get the votes to win this race," he declared, speaking about talking to those 20 members "so that we can move forward and go to work for the American people."