House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan will cancel the third vote to elect a speaker in the House of Representatives, and will back a move to empower House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry until January, Fox News Digital has confirmed.

Jordan lost support on the second ballot yesterday — scoring only 199 votes yesterday after getting only 200 in the first ballot.

He needed 217 to become speaker and could afford few Republican defections. Fox News was told he was expected to lose further votes in a ballot on Thursday.