He’s already measuring the drapes
The Ohio Republican has big plans. (And Kevin McCarthy had better watch his back):
Jim Jordan made his name on Capitol Hill by nudging his own party from the right while pushing Democrats even harder. He may well return to that dynamic next year in a GOP-controlled House.
The eight-term Ohio Republican is on the brink of leadership-blessed power in a Republican majority, set to wield the Judiciary Committee’s powerful mallet should the GOP flip the House in November, as is likely. Jordan’s ascension will mark a new pinnacle not only for himself but for the pro-Trump Freedom Caucus — empowering its last original co-founder still in Congress to handle impeachments, immigration and more.
That perch will give him new chances to wage bare-knuckle political combat against Democrats, with the Biden White House already preparing aggressive pushback to nascent House Republican investigations. But it will also give Jordan an opening to embrace his old-school Freedom Caucus self by choosing issues where his cachet with conservative and younger members paired with an off-the-Hill influence can help him move the party in his more Trumpian direction.
And that influence is real: Interviews with nearly a dozen lawmakers underscore that while other House GOP leaders may run afoul of the party’s base, Jordan continues to wield unparalleled sway within it. His cred within the Trump world and conservative media give him tools to — when and ifhe wants — undercut the leadership colleagues who’ve elevated him as he backed them from the minority.
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Jordan is poised to lead Republicans into some of the next Congress’ most politically divisive investigations — particularly a broad look at the Justice Department and FBI that will sweep in the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, possibly getting paired with a bid to curtail DOJ and the FBI through government funding bills.
Bishop predicted that Jordan would want to make “serious reforms” to both agencies, including looking at “structural change” to the FBI.
And GOP leaders are giving Jordan a leading role in potential impeachments next Congress, a lane that’s laden with potholes. Democrats are gearing up to decry any of Jordan’s moves as overreach and revenge politics after two Trump impeachments, and not all of his GOP colleagues are on board yet.
Jordan, and many on his committee, already have one possible impeachment target in Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Judiciary Republicans are already in talks over what to do about Mayorkas’ handling of the southern border, Jordan said. Meanwhile, Democrats are preemptively bristling over the idea, arguing that it is unprecedented and shows the GOP isn’t serious about addressing immigration.
Importantly, with the midterms still three weeks away, Jordan and McCarthy are still gliding along in a relationship that Republicans credit with bringing the conference’s often-fractious right flank deeper into the fold. The two are actively engaged on future strategy, and coordinating with Oversight chair-in-waiting Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) on GOP investigations.
“They’ll be a good influence for the whole conference,” said Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), a member of House leadership who sits on the Judiciary panel. “I think Kevin really respects Jim’s voice and the respect that he has from his colleagues. And so I think he’ll put a lot of weight into what he says and thinks.”
Jordan praised McCarthy for having “given opportunities” to Freedom Caucus members and engaged “more of the spectrum of the conference,” predicting that “you’ll see more of that” next year.
That isn’t to say everyone is sold. Using a football analogy, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) compared the likelihood that McCarthy will formally outrank Jordan next year to “watching Tom Brady sit on the bench, while Drew Bledsoe mismanages the offense.”
And Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), a former Freedom Caucus chair, noted that the dynamics that influence Jordan’s bond with his leaders will look different in the majority, where McCarthy will need to wrangle a conference that tries divided government with the Biden administration.
“I’m always a big believer that when you’re in the minority, it’s easier to be conservative than when you’re in the majority,” Biggs said. “We’ll have to see how it is going forward.”
We all will — but only if they win.