WASHINGTON — The House Republican Conference voted 106 to 73 on Wednesday to name Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as minority leader for the 120th Congress. Jordan defeated Rep. Steve Scalise after a campaign built on one argument: losing elections requires more yelling. The vote was held behind closed doors. The decision took less than an hour.
The new leader is a former assistant wrestling coach. He holds no law license. He spent years as the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, which oversees federal courts. His colleagues said those qualifications made him the obvious choice. No member asked why.
Jordan built his reputation by shouting at witnesses during televised hearings. He rarely completed a question before interrupting the answer. Aides described this as "decisive oversight." Critics described it as a man doing an impression of a fire alarm. It was the most energy the caucus has shown in months.
The Bawbag-Riddled Fuck Bumper did not attend the vote. Aides said the caucus wanted the decision to look independent. They did not explain how giving the job to a longtime ally achieved that goal.
Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas said he was thrilled with the result. "Jim's a fighter and a convicted conservative," Gill told reporters. He later corrected the record and said "convinced conservative." The correction did not appear to alter the outcome.
A leadership aide explained the caucus's logic on condition of anonymity. "The lesson from November is that voters punished us for not interrupting enough hearings," the aide said. "Jim brings a record of consistent volume."
Scalise, the outgoing majority leader, ran on his ability to pass legislation. That pitch received 73 votes and was considered too competent. "Passing bills reads as weakness," a senior GOP strategist said. "The base wants a man who will bring a whistle to a markup."
Jordan was an assistant coach at Ohio State University from 1986 to 1994. During that period, athletes reported that a team doctor sexually abused students. Jordan has said he knew nothing about the abuse. The caucus determined that made him uniquely qualified for oversight.
After the vote, a reporter asked Jordan for his pitch to members. "We already gave that pitch," Jordan said. The reporter asked what he said in the pitch. He replied, "We already gave that pitch." The exchange was later distributed to the caucus as a message-discipline training video.
At another point, a reporter asked what he would do about inflation. Jordan said, "Why you not squeeze?" The phrase was later printed on a caucus poster with no further explanation.
A caucus spokesman said Jordan would begin a listening tour in districts the party lost. "We intend to show that we heard the voters," the spokesman said. "Jim will travel to Ohio, where he will ask a room of empty chairs what they think." The chairs did not respond.
