Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., told Newsmax Friday that the battle underway in the House to pick a new speaker is "not chaos" as some have said, but the party eventually coming together to pick the right person.
"We're going to get our act together, and you know, it's not chaos," Van Drew said during "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE" Friday. "I stuck with [Ohio Republican Rep.] Jim Jordan through thick and thin. He was my guy. However, he has now dropped out, so it's incumbent upon us to choose a leader, to choose a speaker, and move forward."
The Washington Post reported Friday that Jordan lost a secret GOP conference vote 112-86 behind closed doors, removing him as the Republican designee for speaker of the House.
Acting Speaker Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., adjourned the chamber until Tuesday without a full floor vote, the report said.
Republicans running for the position have until noon on Sunday to file their candidacy, and the GOP will hold a candidate forum Monday night.
Van Drew said that he feels his conference will eventually unite around one of several newly declared candidates for the job because the GOP has the "right ideas" to move the country forward.
"The Republican Party is the party that has the right ideas for America," he said. "We're the party that wants to stop having open borders. We're the party that wants to empower our police, not diminish, demean, or defund them.
"We're the party that believes our children should receive an education and shouldn't be hearing a lot of the things they are in elementary and middle school.
"The bottom line is that I can go through all the issues and all that. We have the right ideas. We have the right positions, and the republic is in our hands."
Van Drew said that Jordan opted for the secret ballot because he did not want to put pressure on members to vote for him.
"Jim Jordan asked that it be a private ballot. He asked that it be a secret ballot," he said. "He didn't want to put that kind of pressure on people.
"I voted for him. I support him; but nevertheless, he was the speaker designee. He chose to go forward and do it this way. We've got to stop fighting with each other, making comments."
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Charles Kim ✉
Charles Kim, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years in reporting on news and politics.
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