Summary

Republican Congressman Jim Jordan’s second try for speaker of the House went more poorly than his first. In Wednesday's vote he received two fewer Republican votes than he did on Tuesday. Lisa Desjardins reports on the Capitol frozen in legislative limbo and Geoff Bennett discussed where the GOP stands and what comes next with Rep. Carlos Gimenez, one of the Republicans who voted against Jordan.

For a transcript to read alongside as you watch the video, click here.

News wrap alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

Warm-up questions

• Who is Jim Jordan, and what is his background?
• Why is there currently no Speaker of the House?
• When and how was the former Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, removed?
• What is important about filling the role?
• How does the current struggle over filling the role reflect divisions within the Republican party?

Focus questions

What do you think would be the most fair way to decide who is in charge of day to day operations in the House (including what votes are scheduled and when)?

Media literacy: Whose perspective do you think was left out of this story? Who else might you want to hear from on the importance of choosing a Speaker?

Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?

For more

What students can do: Follow this story as it develops here.

As the story unfolds, discuss as a class:

• What does this current struggle say about the politics of the moment?
• With the House so closely divided between Republicans and Democrats, why does a power sharing agreement seem out of the question for many Republicans?
• What impact do you think this long stretch without a Speaker will have on important issues like the economy and foreign policy?

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