House GOP to take third Speaker vote as Jim Jordan's hopes dwindle
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on Rep. Jim Jordan's candidacy for Speaker for a third time on Wednesday after the Ohio Republican lost the first two votes. Jordan faces rising calls to temporarily empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry as a stopgap measure.
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Who is the current acting speaker of the house?
Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., has served as the temporary leader of the House of Representatives, or speaker pro tempore, since former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from his post earlier this month.
House rules dictated that McCarthy, upon his election as speaker in January, provide a secret list of members to succeed him as speaker pro tempore should the office be vacated as it was with his removal. It was revealed following the vote to oust McCarthy that McHenry was at the top of the list.
As speaker pro tempore, McHenry has the powers of the House speaker to guide the chamber in its continued operation until a new speaker is elected.
McHenry is a former media consultant and political operative who was first elected to the House to represent North Carolina's 10th Congressional District in 2004. He was selected as the House Republican chief deputy whip in 2015 and served in the role until 2019. He was selected as chair of the House Financial Services Committee in January.
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