On Friday, House Republicans nominated Jim Jordan to be their next Speaker of the House. The nod comes after their first pick, Steve Scalise failed to garner enough support from the House to win the top spot.
The closed-door vote to affirm Jordan was 124 to 81 amidst another dark horse contender throwing his hat in the ring, Rep. Austin Scott from Georgia.
Who is Austin Scott?
Not many people have heard of Scott, although he’s served seven terms in Congress. He doesn’t head up any high-profile committees (he is Chairman of the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit) nor has he garnered much media attention like Jordan, who regularly appears on Fox News and other conservative media outlets.
He might be a refreshing change of pace from the usual antics in Congress.
“We are in Washington to legislate, and I want to lead a House that functions in the best interest of the American people,” Scott wrote in a post on X.
Scott seems to be pitching himself as the reluctant servant, saying he had no intention to run for the speaker position.
“I don’t necessarily want to be the speaker of the House. I want a House that functions correctly, but the House is not functioning correctly right now,” Scott said.
“I care more about the conference and that it’s doing our job than I care about who the Speaker is. I truly do,” he continued. “When I woke up this morning I had no intention of doing this.”
He stands in contrast to Jordan who is definitely not viewed as the centrist that would appeal to more moderate Republicans and those representing swing districts. The ex-wrestling coach is going to struggle to gain support from those colleagues.
No Time for Drama
This is the 10th day the House has been without a leader, with no clear path to victory in sight.
Republicans stand up in front of Congress to express staunch opposition to a colleague and then turn to the press and say, “I have no ill will to so and so … so and so is a friend of mine.”
It all seems like a bit – okay a lot – of political theater. I’m all for fun and games, but there’s a time and a place for drama, and simply put, this is not it.
I understand the desire for a sea change in the Republican party. I’m no spring chicken but the old guard that includes the likes of Mitch McConnell and Chuck Grassley doesn’t seem to properly represent the current conservative movement. Some Republicans don’t even seem to represent anything close to conservative values.
I also understand the desire from the more established Republicans to find a speaker who can “reach across the aisle” and work with Democrats to get things done.
At this point, please just get any warm body with an “R” by their name. It’s got to be better than whatever the lunatics of the far left and members of the Democratic Socialists of America propose. If they have their way, the American script will quickly turn from a drama to a nightmare.
Jennifer Galardi is the politics and culture editor and opinion writer for 19FortyFive.com. She has a Master’s in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and produces and hosts the podcast Connection with conversations that address health, culture, politics, and policy. In a previous life, she wrote for publications in the health, fitness, and nutrition space. In addition, her pieces have been published in the Epoch Times and Pepperdine Policy Review. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
