Author
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.
Nevada Current is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
U.S. House stalled again after rejecting Jim Jordan as speaker a second time
By: Jennifer Shutt and Ariana Figueroa - 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 less hard-right […]
Ohio’s Jim Jordan fails in bid for U.S. House speaker, leaving chamber paralyzed again
By: Jennifer Shutt, Ariana Figueroa and Ashley Murray - October 17, 2023
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House rejected Ohio’s Jim Jordan as a candidate for speaker on Tuesday in the first round of voting, though the chamber was expected to potentially conduct additional votes on Jordan’s bid later in the day. Jordan, co-founder of the far-right Freedom Caucus and one of the lawmakers who bolstered former President […]
Jim Jordan gains support as vote nears for U.S. House speaker, but outcome still in doubt
By: Jennifer Shutt, Ariana Figueroa and Ashley Murray - 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 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 chamber’s […]
Scalise drops out of race for U.S. House speaker
By: Ariana Figueroa and Jennifer Shutt - October 13, 2023
WASHINGTON — Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise withdrew from the race for U.S. House speaker on Thursday evening, just one day after his colleagues nominated him for the role. “Our conference still has to come together and it’s not there,” Scalise told reporters. “I was very clear we have to have everybody put their agendas […]
Race for U.S. House speaker moves toward a vote as Scalise, Jordan make their pitches
By: Jennifer Shutt and Ariana Figueroa - October 11, 2023
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans gathered behind closed doors for several hours Tuesday evening to debate who the party should elect as the next speaker amid divided views about the path forward. The two-hour forum featured House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan making their cases and answering questions from their […]
McCarthy may jump into U.S. House speaker race, as crises overseas mount
By: Jennifer Shutt, Ariana Figueroa, Ashley Murray and Jacob Fischler - October 9, 2023
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans will gather behind closed doors beginning Monday night in an attempt to decide who should become the chamber’s next speaker, a race with a renewed sense of urgency with ally Israel now at war and the House in paralysis. Louisiana’s Steve Scalise and Ohio’s Jim Jordan are the only candidates […]
A murky outlook for Ukraine aid with U.S. House leadership in turmoil
By: Jennifer Shutt - October 5, 2023
WASHINGTON — Additional military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine was on shaky ground earlier this week, before U.S. House Republicans evicted Kevin McCarthy from the speaker’s office. The revolt by eight members of the House GOP Conference, largely spurred by bipartisan deals McCarthy struck on the debt limit and a short-term government funding bill, complicated […]
U.S. House votes to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker
By: Jennifer Shutt, Ariana Figueroa and Ashley Murray - 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 […]
Next battle in Congress over Ukraine aid, as Biden presses House speaker for vote
By: Jennifer Shutt - 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 […]
Congress clears bill to avert shutdown, with vote promised later on Ukraine aid
By: Jennifer Shutt - October 1, 2023
WASHINGTON — Congress approved a bill Saturday night that would stave off a government shutdown until at least mid-November, though the measure doesn’t include Ukraine aid backed by both Republicans and Democrats. The bipartisan 88-9 vote in the U.S. Senate, just hours before a midnight deadline, took place after the U.S. House earlier in the […]
U.S. Senate moves on short-term spending bill in struggle to avoid shutdown days away
By: Jennifer Shutt - September 27, 2023
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate is on track to clear a short-term government funding bill in the days ahead, but it wasn’t clear Tuesday if that would happen before the Saturday midnight deadline to avert a shutdown, or if House GOP leaders would put the bill up for a vote in that chamber. U.S. House […]
Menendez steps down temporarily as U.S. Senate committee chairman amid federal charges
By: Jennifer Shutt - September 22, 2023
WASHINGTON — New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez will temporarily step aside as chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee following a federal indictment for conspiracy to commit bribery and other charges. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made the announcement Friday afternoon, saying in a written statement that “Senator Menendez has rightly decided to […]