Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has been tapped by Republicans to join the House Judiciary Committee, one of the most coveted positions in Congress.
Jordan emerged as one of the most loyal allies of President Donald Trump during the impeachment inquiry, where he admonished Democrats and conducted some of the toughest questionings of witnesses. He was reportedly selected by Republican lawmakers during a closed-door meeting and received overwhelming support.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo) described it as a “totally unified decision all around” in comments to Politico.
Jordan will replace Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) as the top Republican on the committee. Collins is planning to run for the U.S. Senate in Georgia. Collins will not step down immediately, Politico reported, and it’s expected there will be a transitional period before Jordan steps into the role.
Developing: CBS News confirms Jim Jordan will be new ranking member house judiciary, taking over for Congressman Collins who is running for Georgia Senate seat. Republican aide said Jordan’s focus will include regulatory reform and #FISA Timeframe not nailed down #Durham
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) February 6, 2020
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), who plans to retire later this year, will temporarily take over Jordan’s spot atop the House Oversight Committee.
Jordan’s profile has risen during Trump’s presidency and he’s also become one of the top fundraisers in the party. During the last three months of 2019, he brought in $1.4 million in donations.
The last step in the process will be a full conference vote on both Jordan’s and Meadow’s, but they should be approved easily. The Steering Committee, which recommended them for the posts, usually gets its way. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) even backed Jordan’s new position, a notable nod of support considering the two were rivals as recently as 2018 when Jordan challenged McCarthy for his minority leadership position.
