Sawt Falasteen - Republicans drop Trump ally as US House speaker nominee

Lawmakers told reporters as they left Capitol Hill for the weekend that they would hold a "candidate forum" to choose a new standard-bearer on Monday, with several hopefuls expected to be announced on Sunday.

"We need to come together and figure out who our speaker is going to be," Jordan told reporters as he confirmed he would end his bid for the gavel, which places the holder second in line to the presidency.

"I'm going to work as hard as I can to help that individual so that we can go help the American people. And I'm also going to get back to work."

In the 17 days since Kevin McCarthy was removed in a rebellion by right-wing hard-liners, no other Republican has been able to muster enough votes to replace him, sparking one of the worst institutional crises Washington has seen in decades.

Jordan's failure has deepened bitter divisions within the Republican Party, extending a weeks-long paralysis of Congress at a time of heightened international tension and with a government shutdown looming in less than a month.

Despite backing from former president and leading 2024 Republican hopeful Donald Trump, Jordan was defeated by 25 colleagues from his own side who joined every Democrat to deny him the gavel for the third time in four days.

- 'Lives will be jeopardized' -

The vote came after President Joe Biden asked Congress for $106 billion in emergency funding -- mainly military aid for Ukraine and Israel -- but the chamber cannot act on the urgent request with no leader.

"We're in a very bad place right now," McCarthy admitted after the latest setback, days after predicting that his one-time adversary would win the first ballot.

With the contest resetting next week, at least three of Jordan's colleagues are expected to throw their hat in the ring, according to US media reports.

Jordan, the chairman of the powerful Judiciary Committee but a deeply divisive figure in his own party, had seen his vote share weaken with each successive ballot -- underscoring the growing dysfunction in the Republican conference.

The 59-year-old former champion wrestler was asked about Biden's aid request during a press conference as he sought to rally support for his floundering campaign ahead of the third vote.

"We can't do that -- can't vote on that, can't pass anything in that -- until we get the House open," he said.

Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries called for a bipartisan choice for speaker, calling Jordan a "clear and present danger to our democracy."

"We have to get the House reopened. It's my expectation that the Senate will begin to act on President Biden's national security package sooner rather than later," he told reporters after the vote.

"But if the House is not reopened, then it will stall unnecessarily and lives will be jeopardized. This is a serious situation."

T.Khatib--SF-PST