Washington (AFP) - Yet another attempt by Republicans to elect a House speaker ended in failure Friday, deepening bitter divisions within the party and extending a weeks-long paralysis of the US legislature at a time of heightened international tension.

Ohio conservative Jim Jordan, who is backed by former president Donald Trump, was defeated by 25 colleagues from his own side who joined every Democrat to deny him the gavel for the third time in four days.

Underscoring the dysfunction plaguing the majority party, the vote came after President Joe Biden had asked Congress for $106 billion in emergency funding – mainly military aid for Ukraine and Israel – but with no hope of a quick approval.

In the 17 days since Republican Kevin McCarthy was removed in a rebellion by right-wing hard-liners, no other Republican has been able to muster enough votes to replace him, sparking one of the worst institutional crises Washington has seen in decades.

“We’re in a very bad place right now,” McCarthy admitted after the latest setback, days after predicting that his one-time adversary would win the first ballot.

Jordan, the chairman of the powerful Judiciary Committee but a deeply divisive figure in his own party, has seen his vote share only weaken with each successive ballot.

The 59-year-old former champion wrestler was asked about Biden’s aid request as he sought to rally support for his floundering bid in a press conference he called before his third defeat.

“We can’t do that – can’t vote on that, can’t pass anything in that – until we get the House open,” he said.

After the third failed vote, Jordan indicated that he intended to fight on, but the decision could be taken out of his hands.

- ‘Lives will be jeopardized’ -

House Republicans gathered behind closed doors and were expected to vote in secret ballot on whether Jordan should remain the party’s nominee, with many ready to move on.

Jordan’s friend and fellow Ohio congressman Warren Davidson has warned that the veteran conservative intends to keep calling floor votes across the weekend.

“Our plan this weekend is to get a speaker elected to the House of Representatives as soon as possible so we can help the American people,” Jordan told reporters, without elaborating.

Several Republicans are considering speaker bids of their own, according to US media, while the colleagues who voted against Jordan have made clear that they will not relent, however many times he demands another vote.

Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries called for a bipartisan choice for speaker, calling Jordan a “clear and present danger to our democracy.”

“We have to get the House reopened. It’s my expectation that the Senate will begin to act on President Biden’s national security package sooner rather than later,” he told reporters after the vote.

“But if the House is not reopened, then it will stall unnecessarily and lives will be jeopardized. This is a serious situation.”