Jim Jordan, once called a 'legislative terrorist' by a top Republican, will now lead the party in U.S. House
asserted
Jordan → call → House
Democrats say the pick reflects Republicans rejecting message to them in last week's midterms
asserted
pick → say → midterms
The Republicans may have just lost control of the House of Representatives in resounding fashion, but they signalled Tuesday they may not be in a conciliatory mood with Democrats, picking combative Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan as their leader in the chamber.
uncertain
they → lose → chamber
Jordan, a longtime ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, emerged from a closed-door session with party colleagues Tuesday as the winner over Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana to become House minority leader.
asserted
Jordan → emerge → Louisiana
Jordan, 62, said Republicans would focus on fighting for American families over the next two years.
asserted
Republicans → say → years
“When Democrats offer more government, we’ll offer more freedom,” he said.
asserted
he → offer → freedom
“We will bring that fight in committee, on the floor and on the stump every single day.”
asserted
We → bring → stump
'A pitbull who will fight it out'
Jordan, once described as the "walking embodiment of conflict-mindedness" by a member of the conservative Federalist Society, was first elected to Congress in 2006.
asserted
who → fight → 2006
He was seen as one of the prime Republicans legislators responsible for a 16-day shutdown in late 2013 over a government funding bill, in opposition to plans from Barack Obama's administration to push ahead with landmark health-care legislation.
asserted
He → see → legislation
Not seeing his party's leadership as sufficiently to the right, Jordan soon founded the House Freedom Caucus with Ron DeSantis, Mark Meadows (North Carolina) and Mick Mulvaney (South Carolina).
asserted
Jordan → see → DeSantis
DeSantis would eventually leave Congress for two terms as Florida governor, while Meadows and Mulvaney served in the first Trump administration.
asserted
Meadows → leave → administration
John Boehner, the former Republican House Speaker from Ohio who often bore the brunt of appeals from that caucus, once described Jordan as a "legislative terrorist."
"I just never saw a guy who spent more time tearing things apart — never building anything, never putting anything together," Boehner told CBS News in a 2021 interview.
asserted
Boehner → bear → interview
Boehner's comments may not have been just a matter of a retired politician settling scores.
uncertain
politician → retire → scores
Two years ago, the Center for Effective Lawmaking rated Jordan 202nd out of 205 House Republicans in terms of legislative effectiveness.
asserted
Center → rat → effectiveness
The ongoing joint project between the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University examines a number of criteria, including number of bills sponsored, whether the bills made it into or out of committees, and whether they were subsequently passed by the House.
asserted
they → examine → House
Republicans took big hits in the U.S. midterms.
asserted
Republicans → take → midterms
Does that mean Trump's political era is over?
asserted
era → mean → ?
- Analysis
JD Vance blames Iran war for midterm thumping.
asserted
Vance → blame → thumping
Is he really blaming Trump?
asserted
he → blame → Trump
Passing legislation is never the prime responsibility of a minority leader however, as Alyssa Farah Griffin hinted at in a post on Tuesday.
asserted
Griffin → pass → Tuesday
Griffin, who served in the first Trump administration and is now a panelist on The View, praised Jordan's elevation.
asserted
who → serve → elevation
"In the new Congress, House Republicans will have very little actual power," she said.
asserted
she → have → power
"They need a pitbull who will fight it out with Democrats, and on TV and who has the ear of the [White House].
asserted
who → need → House
That’s Jim Jordan."
asserted
That → ’ → ?
Defied subpoena from Democrats
Democratic legislators and pundits argued Jordan’s selection suggested that Republicans aren't receiving the message sent to them last week in the midterms.
uncertain
Republicans → defy → midterms
Democrats so far have gained a new total of 42 seats in the 435-member House — they have flipped 44 Republican seats, while Republicans flipped 2 Democrat seats — with 13 races yet to be called.
asserted
races → gain → seats
“I would think that they would want somebody that was going to moderate towards what the voters want.
asserted
voters → think → what
They lost so many Republican voters,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington.
asserted
Jayapal → lose → Washington
“Obviously that’s not the case.”
asserted
that → ’ → ?
Former U.S. senator and Saturday Night Live cast member Al Franken quipped on social media: "Picking Jim Jordan to be Minority Leader is surviving Republican House members saying, 'We heard you, America!'"
Jordan has been a vigorous defender of the current president, excoriating special counsel investigations into Trump's 2016 campaign contacts with Russia and his handling of classified documents as a private citizen.
asserted
Jordan → quip → citizen
Leading up to Trump's 2019 impeachment related to foreign policy with Ukraine, Jordan encouraged a group of Republicans who stormed a closed-door deposition, a move Lindsey Graham, the late Republican senator from South Carolina, called "nuts."
asserted
Graham → lead → Carolina
Jordan ran for House Speaker in 2023, but couldn't get the necessary votes.
asserted
Jordan → run → votes
Some lawmakers reported they had received threats of violence in emails and phone calls from citizens supporting Jordan's effort.
asserted
they → report → effort
In a social media post Tuesday, Ayanna Pressley, Democratic representative from Massachusetts, highlighted what she saw as a number of Jordan's failings, leading with his activities supporting Trump's election denialism after his 2020 loss to Joe Biden.
asserted
she → highlight → Biden
The committee with seven Democrats and two Republicans that examined the 2020 election and the lead-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol said in its final report that Jordan led a conference call four days earlier "in which he, President Trump, and other members of Congress discussed strategies for delaying the Jan. 6 joint session" to certify Biden's win.
asserted
he → examine → win
The panel wanted to hear more from Jordan about his communications with the White House during those feverish days, but he defied a subpoena.
asserted
he → want → subpoena
Despite that fact, in his time as a leading Republican member of the House's judiciary and oversight committees, Jordan has frequently been in favour of issuing subpoenas to elicit testimony in Congress.
asserted
Jordan → lead → Congress
Jordan might also be considered an interesting choice in terms of optics, given how prominently Jeffrey Epstein figured in hundreds of midterm campaign ads before the convicted sex offender died in 2019.
uncertain
offender → consider → 2019
On the same day Jordan was named minority leader, a Republican-led committee issued a report finding fault with the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files, with the release leading to some female victims and accusers having their identities revealed when their names should have been redacted.
asserted
names → name → files
Jordan, a two-time NCAA wrestling champion at Ohio State, later served as an assistant coach for the university from 1986 to 1994.
asserted
Jordan → serve → 1994
…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
