House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, scored a major victory in his quest for the speaker’s gavel on Monday.
In a Monday tweet, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., announced he would be supporting Jordan’s speakership bid.
Rogers was a major opponent of Jordan’s push for speaker, so his flip is a big win for the Republican speaker nominee.
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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, left, and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (Getty Images)
In fact, Rogers was adamant about not supporting Jordan for speaker, even saying last week that “there was nothing that Jordan could do to get his support as Speaker of the House.”
That changed Monday when Rogers said he and Jordan spoke twice over the weekend regarding the vote as well as House GOP priorities.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers announced he would be supporting Jim Jordan’s speakership bid.
“[Jordan] and I have had two cordial, thoughtful, and productive conversations over the past two days,” Rogers wrote.
“We agreed on the need for Congress to pass a strong NDAA, appropriations to fund our government’s vital functions, and other important legislation like the Farm Bill,” Rogers continued.
Rogers said that, following the pair’s conversations, he has “decided to support Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House on the floor.”
“Since I was first elected to the House, I have always been a team player and supported what the majority of the Republican Conference agrees to,” Rogers wrote.
“Together, our Republican majority will be stronger to fight Joe Biden’s reckless agenda for America,” he added.
In a tweet response, Jordan thanked Rogers for his support and said his “leadership is just what our Conference needs right now.”
“We must all keep coming together and get back to work,” Jordan added.
Jordan spokesperson Russell Dye told Fox News Digital, “Mr. Jordan remains the only person in the conference who can get to 217 votes and unite the conference.”
“It’s important that Republicans stop attacking each other and come together to get back to work,” Dye said.
House Republicans are heading back to Capitol Hill to convene for a conference meeting Monday night as Jordan pushes for a Tuesday speaker floor vote.
House Republicans are heading back to Capitol Hill to convene for a conference meeting Monday night as Jordan pushes for a Tuesday speaker floor vote. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Jordan secured his party’s speaker nomination on Friday after a surprise conference challenge by Georgia GOP Rep. Austin Scott, an ally of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
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The secret ballot conference vote shook out to a spread of 124 votes for Jordan and 81 for Scott, showing some gaps in Jordan’s support. A second secret ballot in the GOP conference came up with 55 votes against Jordan for speaker.
However, Jordan had the weekend to wheel and deal to flip the holdouts against him, and Rogers’ flip signals that more moderates may thaw and back the House Judiciary Committee chairman.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
