Turmoil in the House of Representatives, which has been without a Speaker for nearly a week, is potentially hamstringing U.S. action on an unfolding war in Israel, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows “mighty vengeance” in response to an unprecedented Hamas attack.
“There is nothing the House can do until they elect a speaker, and I don’t know if that happens quickly,” former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted from the job last Tuesday following a revolt from several far-right members, told Fox News on Saturday.
McCarthy’s ouster was a historic first, so it’s unclear exactly what powers current Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry holds. However, the consensus is that they are fairly limited, especially when bringing bills to the House floor or receiving enhanced security clearance.
The House Majority Leader is traditionally part of the Gang of Eight, a bipartisan group of congressional leaders who receive sensitive intelligence briefings. McHenry currently isn’t cleared to receive Gang of Eight briefings, but President Joe Biden does technically have the authority to give him clearance. A senior administration official told NBC News Saturday that the prospect was under consideration.
Without a formally elected Speaker, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was briefed Saturday evening on the unfolding situation in Israel, Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman reported. However, Jeffries said Sunday that the Gang of Eight had not met for an intelligence briefing. The Democrat from New York is reportedly working on a briefing for all House members this week.
On Sunday, Jeffries called on the GOP to “get their act together” so “we can move forward to get the business of the American people done both as it relates to our domestic needs…as well as our national security considerations in terms of being there for Israel, being there for the Ukrainian people.”
Oklahoma Representative Kevin Hern, who announced Saturday that he wouldn’t seek the speakership, called on the GOP caucus to rally around a new speaker. “The Republican party has been always supportive of Israel, and we’ll continue to be so, but we have to get our leadership put back in place so the Republican conference can move the Congress forward,” he said on Fox News.
The current GOP frontrunners for the speakership, Ohio Representative Jim Jordan and Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise pledged their support for Israel on Saturday. The House GOP caucus is scheduled to hold an internal candidate forum on Tuesday, followed by an internal election on Wednesday.
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