Rep. Gimenez says he is supportive of effort to empower McHenry

Temporary House leader Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., presides as Republicans try to elect Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to be the new House speaker, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The idea of temporarily expanding the powers of interim House Speaker Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., is now also gaining steam among lawmakers who voted against House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., who has said he will keep voting for McCarthy on the House floor, told Fox News Digital that he was supportive of the effort.

"If we don't get to a speaker in a day or two, I think we need to move forward in getting the House back in business, and so any resolution that would give McHenry more power to do that…I would be in favor of," he said.

McHenry was chosen by ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to serve as speaker pro tempore if he were ever ousted, which he was earlier this month in a House majority vote by eight Republicans and all Democrats.

Twenty Republicans voted for someone other than Jordan, a tally that caught allies who expected a closer finish by surprise. Before that, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., had clinched the GOP nomination for speaker before stepping back from the race the next day over mounting public opposition