Jim Jordan backs plan to empower interim House speaker Patrick McHenry until January

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio will back a plan to empower interim House Speaker Patrick McHenry until January, sources told NBC News and CNBC.

The plan to temporarily empower McHenry to oversee the passage of legislation would act as a bridge until the deeply divided Republican conference can coalesce around a permanent replacement.

McHenry’s current powers as interim speaker are limited as Congress faces a ticking clock to pass spending legislation by Nov. 17 to avoid a government shutdown. President Joe Biden has also urged lawmakers to pass emergency security assistance for Israel.

The plan to temporarily empower McHenry to oversee the passage of legislation might not have enough votes, one source cautioned.

Jordan will remain in the speaker race and try to shore up support for his bid should McHenry take the gavel on a temporary basis, the three sources said.

The Ohio Republican’s bid to become speaker failed in two separate votes this week in a stinging rebuke from his own party. It is unclear whether Jordan will push for a third vote Thursday, one source said.

House Republicans have been unable to find a candidate with enough votes to become speaker more than two weeks after a faction of eight GOP lawmakers ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California.

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