Jim Jordan Slams Congress as He Looks To Claim Paul Ryan's Seat
Freedom Caucus co-founder Rep. Jim Jordan took Congress to task on Friday for failing to fully support President Trump and live up to the promises they made to the American people when they were elected.
Jordan — the Ohio Republican who announced his bid on Thursday to replace retiring House Speaker Paul Ryan should the Republican retain control of the House in the midterms — praised Trump for doing what he told his supporters he would do after taking office.
“Think about the last year-and-a-half: Regulations reduced, taxes have been lowered, unemployment at its lowest in 20 years,” Jordan told Fox News host Sean Hannity. “Economy is just humming along. Gorsuch is on the court, Kavanaugh is on deck. Embassy is back in Jerusalem. We’re out of the crazy Iran deal and the hostages have come home from North Korea.”
“By anyone’s definition, that is an amazing year-and-a-half. What is amazing about that list as well is, Congress only helped with a little bit of that, the regulations and the taxes,” the congressman added.
In a separate interview with radio talk show host Mark Levin that same day, Jordan identified the areas where Congress did not come through for Trump, including failing to repeal Obamacare, reform welfare, fund the wall, change immigration law, and control spending.
The conservative offered the example of $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill passed in March.
Jordan argued that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his Democrat colleagues had taken the unpopular position of shutting down the government over President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program. Trump had offered to extend it in exchange for fully funding a U.S.-Mexican border wall and other reforms.
Schumer quickly reversed course on the government shutdown within a few days and Congress passed the bill without addressing DACA, but Republican leaders acceded to the Democrats’ demand that domestic spending increase as much as military spending.
No amendments to the bill were allowed, recounted Jordan, which he said would have passed the House.
“Our problem is, we’re always willing to forfeit before we even try,” he told Levin.
“I always say this,” Jordan said. “We make this job way way too complicated. It’s pretty darn simple. What did you tell (the American people) when you ran for office? And what did you tell them you were going to do? You got elected. You formed a contract with your voters. Go do that.”
Last week, Jordan and Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican, introduced articles of impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
The articles accuse Rosenstein of repeatedly failing to turn over documents subpoenaed by Congress in relation to the Russia investigation and other matters.
“The DOJ is keeping information from Congress. Enough is enough,” Jordan said in a statement, Politico reported. “It’s time to hold Mr. Rosenstein accountable for blocking Congress’s constitutional oversight role.”
Jordan stated on Sunday that he and Meadows will force an impeachment vote if the Department of Justice fails to turn over the documents that Congress has requested, according to The Hill.
“If they don’t give us the information that we, as a separate and equal branch of government, are entitled to have in order to get answers for the American people, then we will actually call to vote for the impeachment of Rod Rosenstein,” Jordan told radio host John Catsimatidis in an interview on AM 970 in New York.
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