Ohio Republican Jim Jordan is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and will lead many investigations into the Biden administration this year.
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Alex Wong/Getty Images
Ohio Republican Jim Jordan is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and will lead many investigations into the Biden administration this year.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan will hold the first investigative hearing on Border Security on Wednesday. His shift from leadership adversary to leadership ally positions the Ohio Republican as a central player on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s agenda this year.
When Jordan arrived on the Capitol in 2007, he focused his quest to shrink the federal government as a member of the House Budget Committee. In one of his early floor speeches, he stressed that it was his first time in Washington, but he said, “I’ve already learned that the game of spending every opportunity counts. ‘ said.
Jordan’s role focused on cutting spending and criticizing Republican leaders
His zeal to keep federal spending in check helped him to be elected chairman of the Republican Research Committee, a large group of fiscal conservatives, in 2010. In that post, he made it clear that he considers himself a party check.
In a 2010 C-SPAN interview, Jordan said, “We want to tell people that we’re conservative consciences for Republicans here in the Capitol.
He was not afraid to confront his leader. Republicans helped establish the House Liberal caucuses in 2015. The group targeted then-Chairman John Boehner (from his own home state).
Boehner has called Jordan a “political terrorist” and criticized him in a 2021 interview with CBS, saying, “No more time to take things apart, build anything, put anything together.” I have never seen a man who spent
As an outsider, Jordan regularly feuded with Republican leaders, but now he’s taken the leadership seat.
After Boehner resigned, eight years after he opposed McCarthy’s first bid for chairman, Jordan nominated him to the House of Representatives, not thinking that McCarthy was a true fiscal conservative and reluctant. He lobbied hardliners to support him.
Speaking on the House floor, Jordan said, “I think Kevin McCarthy is the right person to lead us. I really think so. I wouldn’t be standing here to give this speech. We came together.We came at the same time.Sixteen years ago.We didn’t always agree on everything.But I like his fighting.I like his tenacity. I like.
After 15 ballots and more than four days of voting, McCarthy was elected chairman on January 7. McCarthy gave Jordan a great foundation as a key architect of the Republican investigation into the Biden administration.
From Deputy Trump to Chief Investigator
Jordan was often seen with his shirt sleeves rolled up and no suit jacket, and was seen at hearings for political groups at the 2014 IRS and after the 2015 attacks on the United States. He took a proactive stance at major public hearings, including the questioning of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Mission in Benghazi, Libya. But Jordan cemented his place as a conservative agent after serving as one of President Donald Trump’s strongest defenders during his initial impeachment in 2019.
At a regular press conference during the Senate trial, Jordan claimed Trump was being treated unfairly. “The Democrats have never gotten over the fact that this new man never came to this town or got into politics. it’s driving me crazy
Former South Carolina Rep. Mick Mulvaney, who served in the House with Jordan and was one of the founding members of the Liberal Caucus, said that when Jordan moved out to serve as President Trump’s White House chief of staff, he was in a critical position. He said he was an ally.
“You never know when the light will shine on you. I talked to him regularly and he was always on the ball,” Mulvaney told NPR.
He said Jordan’s priority as attorney general is to lead investigations rather than pass legislation.
“Rather than describe Jim as a legislator, I would view him as an investigator and someone concerned with transparency and accountability. I don’t think Jim is happy with the Financial Services Commission. I don’t think so. Appropriations will please, but the man is supposed to run the Judiciary Committee.”
And Jordan has already done a lot of research, including border security, education policy during the pandemic, and allegations of bias by the FBI. He will also head a new subcommittee investigating what Ohio Republicans are calling the “weaponization” of the federal government.
Texas Republican Chip Roy, a member of that panel, says Jordan is the perfect person to lead the new effort. I don’t know anyone in town who’s ready to shine a light on the weaponization of .He’ll do a great job,” Roy recently told NPR.
Republicans like Roy and Jordan have argued, with Trump’s endorsement, that some federal agencies have a systemic bias against Republicans.
Some House Republicans are already pressing Jordan to impeach President Biden. For his part, the new judiciary chairman says it’s up to the chairman and the GOP meeting.
But Mulvaney warns that impeachment has become a political tool and should be maintained in case there is hard evidence of serious or misdemeanor crimes. “If the Republican Party ends up impeaching Biden, I hope it goes back to that standard.
California Democrat Ted Liu, a member of the Judiciary Committee, recently told NPR about the panel’s new chairman: “I believe he has very extreme views. He I can’t really believe what you say.”
Mulvaney said Jordan has earned the trust of far-right Republicans and conservative media outlets, and now has more support from the party’s heart. But he warns that one of the problems Jordan may face is keeping his focus on investigation. He told NPR that some lawmakers may be more worried about appearing on TV than getting to the truth.
“Members have learned and love being on the right committees to be famous, so it will definitely be a challenge.”
Claudia Grisales, Barbara Sprunt, and Lexie Schapitl of NPR contributed to this article.
