The next fight begins NOW: Jim Jordan challenges McCarthy for minority leader

Democrats won the midterm elections in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi is the front-runner to be speaker of the House again, and conservative Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is wasting no time.

Jordan announced Wednesday morning that he will challenge Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., for the Republican minority leader position.

"I plan to run for minority leader," Jordan told Hill.TV.

"In 2016, the American people elected Republicans to come here and change this town. I think the president is doing just that, but I don't think they see the same intensity from folks in Congress, folks in the House of Representatives," he said.

"Have we replaced Obamacare yet? Have we secured the border yet? Have we reformed welfare yet? No, we haven't," he continued.

Jordan criticized House Republican leadership — McCarthy — for refusing to challenge the Democrats and "have the fight."

"I think all too often, we were willing to not even engage in the debate," Jordan said. He used the omnibus spending bill of spring 2018 that funded Democratic priorities as an example.

"When we were poised to win that battle — particularly in light of the fact that just a few weeks before that big fight, Chuck Schumer had shut down the government, and then he reopened it because the American people said, 'That's crazy' — we were in a good position to win, but we didn't even engage in the debate. That's what's got to change."

"Now that we're in the minority, that's about all what we can do is debate, but fight hard in the debate for the principles, for the things that we know the American people sent us here to do in 2016. Show them that we deserve to be back in power in 2020," he said.

Republican House leadership elections will be held next week. The record is clear. Under McCarthy's failed leadership as majority leader, House Republicans lost their majority. It's time for new leadership.

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