Opponent of backing Ukraine: Analysing right-wing candidate for speaker of US house of representatives
Jim Jordan is the leading candidate for Speaker of the US House of Representatives from the Republicans. He is one of the most vocal defenders of Donald Trump and is known for his opposition to providing aid to Ukraine. While Jim Jordan's first attempt to become Speaker failed, he still has a chance to secure the position.
Here's what you need to know about the potential future Speaker of the US House of Representatives, as European Pravda's journalist Oleh Pavliuk writes in his article - 100% Trump Guy: Essentials About Jim Jordan, Speaker Candidate of the US House of Representatives If Kevin McCarthy, who lost his position as Speaker of the House, could boast of a relatively successful business career before entering politics, 59-year-old Jim Jordan was a professional wrestler. Jordan even tried out for the 1988 Olympic Games, although he did not qualify.
This biographical detail is mentioned for a reason. Jordan often refers to his wrestling background when explaining his aggressive style of communication in Congress. In one of his recent interviews, he directly equates his preparation for committee meetings to a wrestling match.
In addition to his wrestling career, Jordan holds a master's degree in education and a law degree, although he never passed the bar exam. Before his political career, Jordan worked as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University for nearly eight years, obtaining also a master's degree. From 1994 to 2000, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives three times and then became a successful state senator in 2000 and 2004.
In 2006, Jim Jordan was elected to the US House of Representatives, and he has retained his seat every year since. What has he been remembered for during his 16 years in the House of Representatives? "Oh, yeah, Jim Jordan especially, my colleague from Ohio.
I just never saw a guy who spent more time tearing things apart - never building anything, never putting anything together. He is a political terrorist," said John Boehner (also from Ohio), the former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Jim Jordan co-founded the "House Freedom Caucus" in 2015, which later became the staunchest supporters of Donald Trump among ultra-conservative Republicans.
He has been involved in the most high-profile government shutdowns in modern US history: a 16-day shutdown in 2013 due to President Obama's healthcare reform and a 35-day shutdown in 2018, prompted by Trump's desire to secure funding for the border wall with Mexico. Despite his influential position, Jordan's legislative achievements over his 16 years in Congress have been minimal. None of the bills he has been involved with since 2006 have become law.
In the current Congress, Jordan chairs the powerful House Judiciary Committee and plays a leading role in the impeachment investigations against Joe Biden. What is the secret to the popularity of this seemingly ineffective congressman? Probably one of the reasons is his close relationship with Trump.
Jim Jordan is one of the staunchest sceptics of aid to Kyiv. The "Republicans for Ukraine" initiative, which promotes support for Ukraine among Republican voters and politicians, gave him a low rating for this reason. As a result, the US House of Representatives remains without a Speaker.
Without a head, the lower chamber of Congress cannot vote on budget legislation--meaning aid not only to Ukraine but also to Israel, which faces far less controversy among members of Congress.
The most realistic scenario appears to be that the House of Representatives temporarily expands the powers of the Acting Speaker (currently Patrick McHenry) to pass budget legislation for 2024 and addresses the selection of a new Speaker at a later date.
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