Author

Jennifer Shutt

Jennifer Shutt

Jennifer covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include congressional policy, politics and legal challenges with a focus on health care, unemployment, housing and aid to families.

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, right, talks to Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., as the House of Representatives prepares to hold a vote on a new speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 18, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Jordan’s bid to become speaker fell short a second time. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

U.S. House stalled again after rejecting Jim Jordan as speaker a second time

By: and - October 18, 2023

WASHINGTON — Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan in his second bid for U.S. House speaker on Wednesday failed to win enough support from his fellow Republicans, leaving the party deadlocked with no clear path to govern the chamber. Jordan’s 200 votes on a first ballot on Tuesday dropped Wednesday to 199, a signal from centrist Republicans […]

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, walks to the House chambers ahead of a planned vote for speaker of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 17, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Ohio’s Jim Jordan fails in bid for U.S. House speaker, leaving chamber paralyzed again

By: , and - October 17, 2023

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House rejected Ohio’s Jim Jordan as a candidate for speaker on Tuesday, though he vowed to secure the votes needed in the days ahead. Jordan’s decision to try to rally roughly 20 holdouts to his side leaves the House frozen, unable to take up legislation to fund the government ahead of […]

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, leaves his office in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on Oct. 16, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Jim Jordan gains support as vote nears for U.S. House speaker, but outcome still in doubt

By: , and - October 16, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan swayed several Republican opponents to his side Monday, moving the Ohio Republican closer to the speaker’s gavel ahead of a crucial Tuesday afternoon vote. Jordan, who has been a polarizing figure in American politics for much of his time in Congress, will need the backing of nearly all the […]

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, speaks to reporters as House Republicans hold a caucus meeting at the Longworth House Office Building on Oct. 13, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Ohio’s Jordan the latest U.S. House GOP nominee for speaker after days of turmoil

By: , and - October 13, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on Friday put forward their second nominee this week for speaker, though lawmakers departed Capitol Hill for the weekend without unifying enough to hold a floor vote and with a highly uncertain outcome when they return. Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan won the conference nomination in a closed meeting, defeating […]

Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise, who is running to become speaker of the U.S. House, talks with reporters on Tuesday, Oct. 10, following a closed-door candidate forum. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

Scalise nominated by U.S. House GOP as speaker in closed-door meeting

By: , and - October 11, 2023

WASHINGTON — Uncertainty and party infighting over the next U.S. House speaker prevailed at the Capitol Wednesday evening, despite a majority of Republicans picking Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise as their nominee behind closed doors earlier in the day. The chamber adjourned and was scheduled to return at noon Thursday to again try to elect a […]

House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., is pursued by reporters as he returns to the offices of former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 4, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The process is underway to replace McCarthy, who was ousted from the speakership on Oct. 3 by a group of conservative members of his own Republican Party along with all the Democratic members of the House of Representatives. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

How does a ‘frozen’ U.S. House function without a speaker? Everyone’s got an opinion.

By: and - October 4, 2023

WASHINGTON — The stunning ouster of U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday — the first time a speaker has been removed in Congress’ 234-year history — created a leadership vacuum in the chamber and left multiple questions about how legislative business would proceed. North Carolina Republican Patrick McHenry ascended to the role of speaker pro tempore […]

Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-California, is surrounded by staff, security and journalists as he walks to the House chamber ahead of a vote at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 3, 2023, in Washington, D.C., in which he would be removed from his post. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

McCarthy abandons another bid for U.S. House speaker, votes on spending bills canceled

By: - October 3, 2023

WASHINGTON — California Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy announced Tuesday evening he will not try to become speaker for a second time, ending his tenure holding the gavel after eight GOP lawmakers and Democrats voted to remove him from leadership. “I will not run for speaker again. I’ll have the conference pick somebody else,” McCarthy said. […]

Rep. Matt Gaetz, who filed the motion to vacate against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, leaves a House Republican Conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 3, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

U.S. House votes to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker

By: , and - October 3, 2023

WASHINGTON — Dissident Republicans in the U.S. House voted with Democrats on Tuesday to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker, a historic move that came just nine months after he secured the gavel following days of negotiating with the GOP’s right flank and 15 rounds of voting. It wasn’t immediately clear after the vote how the […]

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-California, speaks with members of the media in the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 30, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Next battle in Congress over Ukraine aid, as Biden presses House speaker for vote

By: - October 2, 2023

WASHINGTON — Republican and Democratic lawmakers are searching for a way to clear more aid for Ukraine, after Congress approved a short-term spending bill that didn’t include any additional money for the country. President Joe Biden on Sunday said that U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to find the votes needed to pass a supplemental […]

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy takes questions from reporters on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, at the U.S. Capitol. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

Government shutdown nears: U.S. House GOP fails to pass one-month spending plan

By: , , and - September 29, 2023

WASHINGTON — A sweeping government shutdown appeared inevitable on Friday, with the U.S. Senate stuck in a procedural holding pattern on its bipartisan stopgap bill and divided U.S. House Republicans unable to pass their short-term spending bill. Both chambers of Congress must approve and President Joe Biden must sign government funding legislation before midnight on […]

The U.S. Capitol Building is seen on Oct. 22, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Shutdown inches closer as U.S. House GOP fails to pass defense bill, lawmakers exit D.C.

By: - September 21, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans were unable for a third time Thursday to begin debate on the Defense funding bill, throwing another wrench into Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s leadership tenure. The 212-216 vote that rejected the rule for the $826 billion Defense spending measure was unexpected, coming less than a day after House GOP lawmakers gathered […]

The U.S. Capitol is seen. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

A ‘disaster’ nears: Millions of federal workers’ paychecks would be on hold in a shutdown

By: - September 20, 2023

WASHINGTON — More than 3.5 million federal employees and military personnel — many in the Washington, D.C., area but also scattered across the states and around the globe — are bracing for another partial government shutdown, as U.S. House Republicans struggle to produce a short-term plan to fund the government past the end of the […]