So… this was unexpected.
In a move no one saw coming, Rep. Jim Jordan has won the top Republican spot on the Oversight Committee after Rep. Mark Meadows stepped aside without warning.
The Ohio lawmaker was unanimously elected by the Republican Steering Committee for the ranking member role on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Thursday after last-minute jockeying for positions in the last few weeks, The Hill reported.
A staunch defender of President Donald Trump, Jordan was seeking the ranking Republican position on the House Judiciary Committee until Wednesday. He withdrew his bid amid concerns that he would not get the position as Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, who was favored by GOP leaders for the role, did get the votes.
While Jordan is an obvious choice for the position… everyone expected Mark Meadows to take it.
As the senior-most member on the Oversight committee, which is currently chaired by retiring South Carolina Rep, Trey Gowdy, it seemed logical for Jordan to seek the top spot. But Meadows, his House Freedom Caucus ally, appeared to still be running – a position the North Carolina Republican was expected to easily win.
But then, according to The Hill:
Meadows arrived to the steering committee carrying a binder, which likely contained a layout of his vision for the panel. And part way into the meeting, Jordan entered the closed door meeting.
Jordan then confirmed to reporters that Meadows had pulled out of the race and that he had declared his interest.
“I just talked to them about the OGR ranking member position. The committee is discussing what they are going to do,” Jordan told reporters. “I just went in and told them I am interested in the position.”Asked by reporters if Meadows, his friend and Freedom Caucus chairman, was still running, Jordan responded: “No, he is not.”
Kinda crazy, right?
Two GOP sources tell me @Jim_Jordan just won Oversight ranker unanimously. Wow
— Rachael Bade (@rachaelmbade) November 29, 2018
“The steering committee unanimously selected Jim Jordan to be our next ranking member. And I think he’s going to do a great job and thought that it was a good move by the committee,” House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana told The Hill.
“You never know what good things will happen along the way in these interviews,” Scalise, who will be the House’s no. 2 Republican next year, added.
This is really, REALLY interesting…
Makes you wonder what plans they have cooking up behind closed doors.