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Jim Jordan will endorse Patrick McHenry as a temporary Speaker of the House through January, as Republicans search for a short-term solution to end weeks of chaos that have paralysed Congress and prevented lawmakers from underwriting more foreign aid for Israel and Ukraine.
Jordan is not abandoning his bid to become Speaker of the House, said a person familiar with his thinking, and would “continue to run and try to shore up votes”, even as McHenry acted as a temporary Speaker.
The move comes amid growing calls from Republican lawmakers to give McHenry, the congressman from North Carolina, more powers so that Congress can consider key pieces of legislation. The White House is gearing up to ask lawmakers to approve a sweeping national security package that would include billions of dollars in additional foreign aid.
Any deal to empower McHenry, an ally of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, would need to be approved by a simple majority of House members. House Democrats have not yet said if they would endorse such a move.
This is a developing story
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