James Daniel Jordan (born February 17, 1964) is the U.S. Representative for Ohio's 4th congressional district, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party, and a founding member of the Freedom Caucus, the farthest-right grouping within the House Republican Conference. The district is located in the north-central and western portions of the state and includes Lima, Tiffin, and Elyria.
In 2018, he announced that he was running for the House Speaker position that will be vacant upon Paul Ryan's retirement in January 2019.
Video Jim Jordan (American politician)
Early life, education and early career
Jordan was born and raised in Champaign County, Ohio, and attended Graham High School, graduating in 1982. While at Graham, he was a four-time state wrestling champion with a career record of 150-1. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1986, obtaining his bachelor's degree in economics.
Jordan was a two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion. In the 1985 NCAA championship match, Jordan defeated future two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion John Smith.
He later earned a master's degree in education from the Ohio State University in Columbus, and in 2001 obtained his J.D. degree from Capital University Law School, also in Columbus.
Maps Jim Jordan (American politician)
Political career
Ohio General Assembly
Jordan was first elected to the Ohio General Assembly in November 1994 and went on to serve three terms as State Representative of the 85th Ohio House District. In 1996, he offered an amendment to the Welfare Reform Bill that limited the amount of time that an able-bodied individual could remain on welfare. He also created the Income Tax Reduction Fund, which required that any state revenue surpluses be used to lower the income tax burden on Ohioans rather than be used for further government spending.
In 2000, he won a seat in the Ohio Senate by defeating independent candidate Jack Kaffenberger by a margin of 88 percent to 12 percent. In 2004, Jordan defeated Kaffenberger again, this time by a smaller margin of 79 percent to 21 percent. In May 2006, Jordan won the Republican primary race for the 4th Congressional district of Ohio. He also won a 100% lifetime rating from the Ohio Taxpayers Association, which endorsed Jordan in his bid for Congress.
Jordan was named Watchdog of the Treasury (1996, 2000, 2004), Outstanding Legislator (2004), Outstanding Freshman Legislator (1996), Friend of the Taxpayer (1997), and Pro-Life Legislator of the Year (1998) by the United Conservatives of Ohio, the Defender of Life award from the Ohio Right to Life Society, and the 2001 Leadership in Government Award from the Ohio Roundtable and Freedom Forum. Additionally, Senate President Bill Harris appointed Jordan to be the chairman of the Senate Judiciary on Criminal Justice Committee.
U.S. House of Representatives
Jordan won the Republican primary for the 4th District in 2006 after 26-year incumbent Mike Oxley announced his retirement. Despite the strong anti-Republican mood in Ohio that year, Jordan won the general election, defeating Democrat Rick Siferd, 60% to 40%. The 4th has long been considered one of the most (if not the most) Republican districts in Ohio and the nation; the district and its predecessors have been in Republican hands for all but 16 years since the Civil War.
He was reelected in 2008, defeating Democrat Mike Carroll 65% to 35%.
Jordan chaired the Republican Study Committee during the 112th Congress. He was elected over Representative Louie Gohmert. Jordan reportedly turned down a position on the Appropriations Committee.
During the 114th Congress, Jordan helped found the House Freedom Caucus, a group of conservatives working to "support open, accountable and limited government, the Constitution and the rule of law, and policies that promote the liberty, safety and prosperity of all Americans." He served as the group's first chairman.
Jordan received a vote for Speaker on January 3, 2013, the first day of the 113th Congress from fellow conservative, Tea Party Caucus chairman Tim Huelskamp, of Kansas. Jordan received two votes for Speaker during the 114th Congress.
On July 26, 2018, Jordan announced his new campaign to take the House speakership that will be vacated by the departure of Paul Ryan.
Committee assignments
- Committee on the Judiciary
- Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet
- Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative Rules
- Subcommittee on Government Operations
- House Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Constitution Caucus
- Congressional Western Caucus
Jordan serves as chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative Rules.
Legislation
On May 2, 2014, Jordan introduced the simple resolution Calling on Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., to appoint a special counsel to investigate the targeting of conservative nonprofit groups by the Internal Revenue Service (H.Res. 565; 113th Congress) into the House, where it passed on May 7, 2014. The resolution asks Holder to appoint a special counsel to investigate the 2013 IRS scandal. Jordan said that "we need this special counsel to help us get to the truth because the so-called investigation by the Justice Department has been a joke. The current investigation has no credibility because it is being headed by a maxed-out donor who is financially invested in the president's success."
In March 2017, Jordan criticized the newly-introduced American Health Care Act, the Republican replacement bill for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as an unacceptable form of "Obamacare Lite." He later revised his position, voting on May 4, 2017, to pass a revised version of the American Health Care Act.
In a Vanity Fair article published October 30, 2017, John Boehner, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, said of Jim Jordan's legislative background: "Jordan was a terrorist as a legislator going back to his days in the Ohio House and Senate ... A terrorist. A legislative terrorist."
Political positions
According to The Dayton Daily News, Jordan "is known for being one of Congress' most conservative members."
In Congress, Jordan is among the most conservative Republicans, earning a perfect score from the American Conservative Union. He has voted consistently for anti-abortion legislation and was endorsed by Ohio Right to Life in 2012. During the 112th Congress, he was one of 40 "staunch" members of the Republican Study Committee who frequently voted against Republican party leadership and vocally expressed displeasure with House bills.
Jordan has been a leading critic of President Barack Obama's Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) program, advocating for its shutdown.
Jordan has supported the continued production and upgrades of M1 Abrams tanks in his district. The Pentagon opposed the bipartisan action to maintain funding. The Pentagon wants to put a hold on tank upgrades at a Lima plant until a new version is ready, possibly in 2017, in order to save $3 billion. The plant supports approximately 800 jobs in the district.
Asked by Anderson Cooper in April 2018 whether he had heard President Trump tell a lie, Jordan said "I have not" and "nothing comes to mind." He also said, "I don't know that [Mr. Trump has ever] said something wrong that he needs to apologize for."
Taxes
While serving in the Ohio Senate, he supported the Tax and Expenditure Limitation Amendment, a state constitutional amendment that would require a vote of the people in order to raise taxes or increase spending over certain limits.
Environment
In July 2008, Jordan was the first member of Congress to sign the "No Climate Tax" pledge, drafted by the conservative political advocacy group, Americans for Prosperity, founded and funded by the Koch brothers, which read "I will oppose any legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue." He followed this with votes to open Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling, prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases, and bar greenhouse gases from Clean Air Act rules. He voted against enforcing limits on carbon dioxide (CO2) global warming pollution, tax credits for renewable electricity, tax incentives for renewable energy and energy conservation and on curtailing subsidies for oil & gas company exploration, earning him a 4% lifetime score on the National Environmental Scorecard from the League of Conservation Voters.
Planned Parenthood
On September 29, 2015, Jordan questioned Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards. In the fiercest confrontation of the hearing, Jordan sparred with Richards over her apology over a "staff member's tone and statements" on a video recording when discussing fetal tissue donation she issued after the first video was made public. Jordan is against Planned Parenthood and actively supports ending Medicaid reimbursements to the organization.
Special Counsel and FBI
In December 2017, Jordan sought to discredit the FBI and Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Jordan questioned the impartiality of Mueller, and called on Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein to use his authority to disband the Mueller investigation or create a second special counsel to simultaneously investigate Mueller himself. Rosenstein rejected the request, saying that he could not appoint another special counsel as there was not any credible allegation of any potential crime. The New York Times noted that Mueller, "a registered Republican appointed by President George W. Bush to direct the F.B.I.", had come under growing criticism after Mueller's investigation "delivered a series of indictments to high-profile associates of the president and evidence that at least two of them are cooperating with the inquiry". In July 2018, Jordan led efforts to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as a way to shut down the Special Counsel's investigation. During a hearing on July 12, 2018, Jordan repeatedly interrupted FBI agent Peter Strzok while Strzok tried to explain that he couldn't answer specific questions in order to preserve the confidentiality of an ongoing investigation. Jordan's behavior caused committee Democrats to protest his dilatory tactics and to allow Strzok to respond. They also objected to Jordan's exceeding his allowed time for questioning. House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Republican Bob Goodlatte, admonished Jordan for his repeated interruptions of the witness.
In July 2018, Jordan, along with Mark Meadows called on the Department of Justice to "review allegations that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein threatened to subpoena phone records and documents from a House Intelligence Committee staffer". In their written request, the two wrote that in his use of investigative powers, Rosenstein had retaliated "against rank-and-file (congressional) staff members", therefore abusing his authority. Talking to John Catsimatidis on WNYM, Jordan said he would force a vote on the impeachment of Rosenstein if the DOJ does not deliver documents Congress requested.
2013 U.S. government shutdown
Jordan was a critic of Speaker John Boehner's plan to raise the debt ceiling. In 2010, he was chair of the Republican Study Committee, and during the U.S. government shutdown of 2013, he was still considered its most powerful member. That group was the primary proponent and executor of the Republican Congressional strategy to force a government shutdown, in order to force changes in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Political campaigns
2008
Jordan won against Democratic nominee Mike Carroll.
2010
Jordan defeated Democrat Doug Litt and Libertarian Donald Kissick in the general election.
2012
Jordan defeated Democrat Jim Slone and Libertarian Chris Kalla in the general election.
2014
Jordan defeated Democrat Janet Garrett in the general election.
2016
Jordan again defeated Democrat Janet Garrett in the general election.
2018
Garrett once more secured the nomination to challenge Jordan. She has avoided the controversy over Jordan's alleged role in the Ohio State University sexual harassment scandal, focusing her campaign instead on health care and job development.
Ohio State University abuse scandal
Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach with Ohio State University's wrestling program from 1987 to 1995. OSU opened an investigation in April 2018 that looked into allegations of sexual misconduct by the former wrestling team's physician, Richard Strauss -- who was the physician during Jordan's tenure as an assistant coach. Dr. Strauss committed suicide in 2005. In early July 2018, at least eight former wrestlers said that Jordan had been aware of, but didn't respond to, allegations of sexual misconduct by Strauss. If he had seen abuse at the time, Jordan replied, "I would have done something about it." Former UFC world champion Mark Coleman said, "He knew as far as I'm concerned." Former 1980's Ohio State wrestler David Range said teammates spoke of Strauss' behavior often in the locker room while Jordan was present. A nurse who worked with team was interviewed on video by Politico and confirmed observing Strauss fondling a team member until the athlete ejaculated. Another Ohio wrestler, Dunyasha Yetts, told Politico he had asked both Jordan and Hellickson to be present for an examination with Strauss, to avoid inappropriate touching by Strauss. That allegation was denied by Jordan's office. One former wrestler said that he saw Jordan kick a male voyeur out of the wrestlers' sauna, though that would suggest that Jordan was aware that there was a problem -- something he has to date denied. None of the wrestlers accused Jordan of personal sexual misconduct. On August 9, 2018, former UFC world champion Mark Coleman, who had previously said that Jordan knew of the abuse, clarified: "At no time did I ever say or have any direct knowledge that Jim Jordan knew of Dr. Richard Strauss's inappropriate behavior. I have nothing but respect for Jim Jordan as I have known him for more than 30 years and know him to be of impeccable character." Coleman stated he was one of the wrestlers abused by the team physician.
Jordan said that the timing of the allegations were "suspect" and said that one of the many former wrestlers who have gone public had a "vendetta" against Ohio State and Jordan's family. Jordan's congressional office released a statement by the wrestling team's former head coach Russ Hellickson in which both he and Jordan denied knowing about the abuse. However, after Jordan's denial, a June 2018 video emerged showing Hellickson saying that he had confronted Strauss during the doctor's tenure, for being too "hands on" with the wrestlers and about Strauss showering with them "for an hour".
After news of the scandal broke, Jordan criticized CNN for "asking for dirt" from his former staffers and interns. Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz suggested the allegations were intended to damage Jordan's criticism of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. Speaker Ryan defended Jordan, saying he was "a man of honesty and a man of integrity."
On August 9 ex-Ohio State wrestler, Mark Coleman, clarified his comment about the congressman's awareness of abuse.
Personal life
Jordan and his wife Polly live near Urbana in central Champaign County, halfway between Columbus and Dayton. They have four children.
Electoral history
References
External links
- Congressman Jim Jordan official U.S. House site
- Jim Jordan for Congress
- Jim Jordan at Curlie (based on DMOZ)
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
Source of article : Wikipedia
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