GOP Abandons Plan to Empower Interim House Speaker Patrick McHenry

GOP lawmakers have decided not to move forward with a plan to empower interim House Speaker Patrick McHenry until January, according to Rep. Jim Jordan. Jordan's bid to secure the gavel failed in two separate votes this week, leaving the GOP with no clear path to elect a speaker. The plan to empower McHenry was seen as a potentially viable option to end the impasse in the closely divided House, but it faced opposition from Jordan's allies who viewed it as a dangerous precedent. The House Republicans have been unable to find a candidate with enough votes to become speaker, leaving the House paralyzed and unable to pass legislation.