What is Buck doing? Whatever it is, he says it has resulted in death threats and an eviction.
As the battle rages on to elect a new speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Representative Ken Buck of Colorado has taken a seemingly unmovable stand against the front-runner Jim Jordan, sparking intense backlash from within his own party.
On Thursday, Buck revealed that he has received four death threats and been evicted from his district office for opposing Jordan's bid for the position, including a "constant barrage" of phone calls and threats aimed at him and his family members.
A spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Ken Buck said the landlord of their Windsor office is terminating their lease after the congressman voted against Rep. Jim Jordan’s speakership bid. On NBC News Thursday, the congressman said, “I’ve been evicted from my office in Colorado. I have notice of an eviction because the landlord is mad with my voting record on the speaker issue.” (NBC)
Buck is one of 24 House Republicans who have voted for someone other than Jordan in the recent rounds of balloting, leaving the GOP-controlled chamber without a leader. The chaos began on October 3rd when eight Republicans, including Buck, joined with Democrats to vote out then-speaker Kevin McCarthy after he had to rely on Democratic votes to avert a government shutdown.
Paid for by Advance Colorado
Despite the mounting tension and inability to conduct business, the House Republicans have been unable to come to a resolution and are scheduled to hold a third vote on Friday morning. Jordan, who has been meeting with holdouts, has given no indication that he will step down from his candidacy, further prolonging the standoff.
READ MORE:
·Is Congressman Ken Buck CNN’s Newest Star?
·Buck Clashes Over January 6th Capitol Attack Treatment
·Rep. Ken Buck Stands Firm Against Possible Challengers
·Colorado Legislators Play Key Role in Ousting Speaker
At a recent meeting of House Republicans, tempers flared and there were reported shouting matches between lawmakers. Buck noted that this was likely fueled by the "constant barrage" of threats and misinformation being circulated by pundits and grassroots groups. He clarified that he did not believe this was Jordan's fault, but a result of the divisive political climate.
Unfortunately, Buck's opposition to Jordan has put him in the crosshairs of some extreme supporters. He, along with other Republican representatives, have reported receiving death threats and being subject to bullying and intimidation tactics.
This kind of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated, as stated by Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa and Representative Drew Ferguson of Georgia, who also received death threats for switching their votes from Jordan to another Republican candidate.
Speaking to CNN’s Dana Bash (10/17) after the first vote, Buck said everyone’s going to have to chill out a bit before he tries to figure out what’s next. (CNN)
In addition to the threats, Buck has been evicted from his district office in Colorado, with his landlord citing his voting record on the speaker issue as the reason, as Buck has told several news outlets.
This kind of retaliatory action is a concerning example of how deeply entrenched the division and hostility have become in our political climate.
Buck said one reason tempers flared at the meeting was the "constant barrage" of phone calls and threats aimed at lawmakers and their family members.
“So far, I’ve had four death threats," Buck said. "I’ve been evicted from my office in Colorado — I have notice of an eviction because the landlord is mad with my voting record on the speaker issue — and everybody in the conference is getting this, so it's natural. Family members have been approached and threatened, all kinds of things are going on. There's going to be some tension.”
Despite the chaos and intimidation tactics, Buck remains steadfast in his belief that the House needs to find a bipartisan solution and tone down the rhetoric.
While some of his Republican colleagues have proposed a plan to give temporary power to a designated speaker, Buck believes that this must be a purely Republican effort and that Jordan's candidacy must come to an end before any progress can be made.
The situation in the House has reached unprecedented levels of dysfunction, leaving the American people wondering when, if ever, this standoff will come to an end.
Rep. Jim Jordan. R-Ohio, told reporters at a news conference this morning that he was not ending his bid for speaker and would proceed with a third House vote later in the day. Jordan lost support for his candidacy between the first and second rounds of voting this week. His nearly 90-minute meeting Thursday afternoon with 22 Republicans who have voted against him ended with little to no apparent progress.
In an unyielding stance, Congressman Jim Jordan, wearing his traditional shirtsleeves, declared his persistence in becoming Speaker of the House despite facing opposition from his fellow Republicans. He emphasized the urgency of resuming the appropriations process to properly fund essential government functions, specifically the military.
As chairman of the judiciary committee involved in the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, Jordan stressed the importance of continuing their oversight work.
"We made promises to the American people when they elected us, and we must keep those promises to move our country forward. But how can we do that without a functioning House? We can't. We need a new speaker," Jordan stated confidently on Friday morning.
This comes after Jordan's plan to hold a third vote on his bid was scrapped on Thursday due to firm opposition from his colleagues. Jordan had lost 20 and 22 Republican votes on the previous two ballots.
The Republican conference rejected a proposal to temporarily appoint Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry as a way to maintain operations in the House amidst the ongoing Speaker race.