by Nicole Silverio
House Republicans elected Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan Tuesday to become the new party’s leader after Speaker Mike Johnson stepped aside.
Jordan ran against House Majority Leader Steve Scalise to become the next minority leader in the 120th Congress. Both Jordan and Scalise campaigned on fighting Democrats who are expected to launch investigations into President Donald Trump rather than focusing on tackling the cost of living, high gas prices and government corruption.
“We can expect Democrat legislation to wreak havoc on every sector of our economy and transform time-tested American institutions,” Jordan said in a Nov. 4 “Dear Colleague” letter. “Meanwhile, Democrats have already signaled their true intentions. Each Democrat-led committee will turn its full attention to investigating every facet of the Administration and private entities across the country.”
Scalise also warned his colleagues that Democrats planned to “unleash the most radical ‘oversight’ agenda we have seen in years.”
“House Democrats are about to unleash the most radical ‘oversight’ agenda we have seen in years. Yes, they will seek to impeach President Trump, but their focus will extend far beyond the Oval Office. They have made clear they will undertake a comprehensive approach that will target President Trump’s family, key cabinet officials, and any ally who has supported our America First agenda, including outside conservative partners and industry leaders,” Scalise continued. “Make no mistake: they will weaponize every single gavel.”
Voters handed Democrats major wins during the midterm elections as they soured on Trump’s handling of the cost of living and the Iran war. Twenty-seven percent of young people believe they are in a worse financial situation than their parents, particularly while the typical median age for a first-time home buyer in the U.S. is 40 years old, according to the Harvard Youth Poll from Oct. 22.
The average price of gas was $3.97 per gallon as of Tuesday, while Diesel prices were $6.15 per gallon, according to AAA. The average price was $3.07 per gallon in the previous year.
Members of the House Freedom Caucus and hardline Republicans backed Jordan, who co-founded the caucus alongside eight other Republicans. The caucus is made up of conservative lawmakers focused on advancing limited government, fiscal conservatism and populist policies.
Freedom Caucus members protested against House leadership’s votes during Johnson’s time as speaker. Members of the Freedom Caucus, including Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy, voted against a rule in September to protest the passage of the continuing resolution (CR) particularly because it delayed a ban on hemp THC products.
Scalise is viewed as the more establishment candidate by comparison. He was elected as majority whip in 2014 and served as House minority whip from 2019 to 2022. He became House majority leader in 2023.
Jordan became chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in January 2023.
Scalise and Jordan ran for speaker after the House ousted former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in October 2023, although neither received the votes to assume the role. Scalise defeated Jordan by a vote of 113 to 99 on Oct. 11, 2023.
On social media, Texas Republican Rep. Brandon Gill said he was “thrilled” to see Jordan become “House GOP leader.”
“I admire Jim immensely and have been honored to serve under his leadership on the Judiciary Committee. Jim is a fighter and a convicted conservative. He’s the original congressional brawler and is exactly what our Conference needs to lead us back to the majority. I’m proud to have supported him. Congratulations, Leader Jordan,” Gill noted.
Texas Republican Rep. Keith Self said he was “delighted” to see Jordan lead House Republicans next session.
“Jim is a bold, courageous, and principled leader — and a strong communicator — who will fight the Democrats’ communist, anti-American agenda every step of the way. Congratulations!” he added.
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Nicole Silverio is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation. Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network and contributed to this story.
Photo “Jim Jordan” by Jim Jordan.
