House Republicans return to Washington speakerless and with Israel at war
From CNN's Jack Forrest, Haley Talbot, Morgan Rimmer, Sam Fossum and Kristin Wilson
Republican lawmakers returning to Washington this week will do so without a House speaker, setting up a high-pressure situation to reach consensus on a candidate to wield the gavel – and the power to push through support for Israel.
While Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina serves as the acting speaker after the historic ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy last week, he has little power outside of recessing, adjourning or recognizing speaker nominations.
Two candidates have stepped up to fill the vacuum: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, who has the backing of former President Donald Trump. Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern announced Saturday that he had decided not to run.
Neither man starts the week with anywhere near the votes needed to claim the top spot, so here’s what to watch as the race unfolds:
Who are the candidates?
Jim Jordan: The powerful chair of the Judiciary Committee and a founder of the conservative Freedom Caucus secured Trump’s backing last week. (The former president’s intervention came after he expressed openness to temporarily serving in the role himself and had considered a visit to Capitol Hill to speak with Republicans, but he is no longer expected to make that trip.) Jordan has been a key figure in high-profile House GOP-led investigations.
Steve Scalise: As the No. 2 House Republican after the speaker, Scalise has been a prominent figure in the conference and had long been seen as either a potential successor, or rival, to McCarthy. Before he became majority leader, Scalise served as House GOP whip, a role focused on vote counting and ensuring support for key party priorities. The majority leader, his current role, oversees the House floor and schedules legislation for votes.
The jockeying for votes: Scalise met virtually with the House Freedom Caucus on Sunday afternoon as he tries to lock down support ahead of a secret-ballot leadership election Wednesday to nominate a candidate for speaker, according to a person familiar with the matter. The move comes after Jordan met with the same group on Friday.
Both lawmakers have also been making a direct pitch to more centrist members, insisting they will make their reelection battles a priority and ensure more stability atop the badly divided conference, according to sources familiar with the conversations.
By CNN’s count, just over 60 members have publicly endorsed so far, with many more indicating they will keep their powder dry for now. Jordan racked up some notable endorsements over the weekend, mostly from the far-right faction.
The Ohio congressman is known as a staunch ally of Donald Trump and gained the endorsement of the former president Friday.
Jordan's pitch: He has made a pitch for unity to House Republicans, acknowledging the fractures within the conference following McCarthy’s exit. He has also downplayed concerns that he may be too conservative for some of the more moderate members of the GOP.
“I think we are a conservative, center-right party. I think I’m the guy who can help unite that. My politics are entirely consistent with where conservatives and Republicans are across the country,” Jordan told CNN’s Manu Raju.
Jordan's record in Congress: He has served in Congress since 2007. He is chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, has a longstanding reputation as a conservative agitator, and helped found the hardline House Freedom Caucus. Jordan is also the chair of the select subcommittee on the “weaponization” of the federal government. He supported objections to electoral college results when Congress met to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win on January 6, 2021.
Criticism: Democrats frequently criticize Jordan as a hyper-partisan Trump defender and have accused him of using his perch to shield the former president in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. As Jordan oversees key House GOP investigations, Democrats also point to the fact that he stonewalled in response to a subpoena for his testimony from the House select committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
Allegations: CNN reported in 2020 that six former Ohio State University wrestlers said they were present when Jordan heard or responded to sexual misconduct complaints about team doctor Richard Strauss. Jordan has emphatically denied that he knew anything about Strauss’ abuse during his own years working at OSU, between 1987 and 1995.
CNN’s Haley Talbot, Annie Grayer and Curt Devine contributed to this report.
48 min ago
Pressure to fill House speaker vacancy intensifies as crisis unfolds in Israel
From CNN's Kaanita Iyer and Jack Forrest
The US Capitol on Monday morning. Jose Luis Magana/AP
The House speakership drama enters a new week under increased urgency as Israel declared war Sunday following unprecedented surprise attacks by Hamas.
Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster as speaker leaves the House in uncharted legal territory regarding what it can do under acting Speaker Patrick McHenry. When lawmakers return to Washington, they will be under pressure to elect a new speaker swiftly amid the crisis in Israel, which has prompted some calls from within the Republican Party to speed up their timeline given the national security implications of keeping the role vacant.
In a briefing with House leadership Sunday night, Biden administration briefers from the State and Defense Departments told lawmakers they are moving as quickly as they can to deliver weapons and resources to Israel that were part of already existing contracts by accelerating them, three people familiar with the call told CNN. That could help ensure that the US can provide some items as soon as possible even as there are larger questions about how quickly Congress could act on a larger aid package.
Administration officials said they will look to the current $100 million in Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the rapid dispatch of weapons from existing stocks, to send more aid immediately, according to a person familiar with the discussion. The drawdown will likely need additional funds from Congress, the officials told lawmakers.
As the Biden administration looks to provide additional assistance to Israel, officials were unsure Saturday about what could be accomplished without a sitting speaker. While McHenry is serving as speaker pro tempore, he has little power outside of recessing, adjourning or recognizing speaker nominations, and it’s unclear whether he can participate in intelligence briefings on the crisis in Israel.
Multiple lawmakers on national security and appropriations committees have asked for classified briefings, with indications that may happen soon after the Monday national holiday.
Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday that he had conversations with the White House and the National Security Council on Saturday, but he has not yet met with the so-called Gang of Eight – which typically includes the top leaders and heads of the intelligence committees in both parties and both chambers.
“I do anticipate that we’ll have the opportunity to have a secure briefing at some point next week,” Jeffries told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”
Jeffries said it is his understanding that the Biden administration can make some decisions regarding aid to Israel without waiting for Congress and urged the administration to do so, adding that he expects “it will provide whatever assistance it can.”
Republicans have a few more votes in the House, but they don’t exactly have a governing majority.
So Kevin McCarthy is now the former House speaker, and it’s not at all clear when the two men actively trying to replace him – House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana or the Donald Trump-endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio – will be able to unify the party and reopen the House. It will take near-total GOP unity to reopen the chamber.
The size of congressional majorities has generally shrunk in recent years, just as the country’s politics have gotten so much more tribal.
Since the “Republican Revolution” of 1994, only two majorities have exceeded 50 seats, compared with the previous decades when every Democratic majority exceeded 50 seats, usually alongside a series of Republican presidents.
There are plenty of reasons behind this era of small majorities, the first of which is that the country is closely divided and Congress, which is meant to be the “People’s House,” represents that divide.
But there’s more to it than that. Gerrymandered congressional maps are focused on protecting incumbents, which means fewer seats change hands, even when there is a shift in the country’s politics.
Despite anxiety about the economy and frustration with President Joe Biden, Republicans failed to gain many seats in the 2022 midterm elections, just barely eking out the House majority that’s giving them headaches today.
The lack of competitive seats makes it feel like we are stuck with a closely divided House and a closely divided Senate for the foreseeable future.
House without a speaker: Republican lawmakers returning to Washington this week will do so without a House speaker, setting up a high-pressure race to reach consensus on a candidate to wield the gavel.
What happens next: The House GOP is scheduled to hold a candidate forum Tuesday and an internal election Wednesday. It’s unclear when the floor vote could happen.
Israel at war: There’s no sign yet that the GOP is changing its schedule to nominate a new speaker following surprise attacks by Hamas against Israel on Saturday. But the emergency situation in Israel puts a spotlight on the state of paralysis that the House is in without an elected speaker.
Republican lawmakers returning to Washington this week will do so without a House speaker, setting up a high-pressure situation to reach consensus on a candidate to wield the gavel – and the power to push through support for Israel.
While Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina serves as the acting speaker after the historic ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy last week, he has little power outside of recessing, adjourning or recognizing speaker nominations.
Two candidates have stepped up to fill the vacuum: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, who has the backing of former President Donald Trump. Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern announced Saturday that he had decided not to run.
Neither man starts the week with anywhere near the votes needed to claim the top spot, so here’s what to watch as the race unfolds:
Who are the candidates?
Jim Jordan: The powerful chair of the Judiciary Committee and a founder of the conservative Freedom Caucus secured Trump’s backing last week. (The former president’s intervention came after he expressed openness to temporarily serving in the role himself and had considered a visit to Capitol Hill to speak with Republicans, but he is no longer expected to make that trip.) Jordan has been a key figure in high-profile House GOP-led investigations.
Steve Scalise: As the No. 2 House Republican after the speaker, Scalise has been a prominent figure in the conference and had long been seen as either a potential successor, or rival, to McCarthy. Before he became majority leader, Scalise served as House GOP whip, a role focused on vote counting and ensuring support for key party priorities. The majority leader, his current role, oversees the House floor and schedules legislation for votes.
The jockeying for votes: Scalise met virtually with the House Freedom Caucus on Sunday afternoon as he tries to lock down support ahead of a secret-ballot leadership election Wednesday to nominate a candidate for speaker, according to a person familiar with the matter. The move comes after Jordan met with the same group on Friday.
Both lawmakers have also been making a direct pitch to more centrist members, insisting they will make their reelection battles a priority and ensure more stability atop the badly divided conference, according to sources familiar with the conversations.
By CNN’s count, just over 60 members have publicly endorsed so far, with many more indicating they will keep their powder dry for now. Jordan racked up some notable endorsements over the weekend, mostly from the far-right faction.
The Ohio congressman is known as a staunch ally of Donald Trump and gained the endorsement of the former president Friday.
Jordan's pitch: He has made a pitch for unity to House Republicans, acknowledging the fractures within the conference following McCarthy’s exit. He has also downplayed concerns that he may be too conservative for some of the more moderate members of the GOP.
“I think we are a conservative, center-right party. I think I’m the guy who can help unite that. My politics are entirely consistent with where conservatives and Republicans are across the country,” Jordan told CNN’s Manu Raju.
Jordan's record in Congress: He has served in Congress since 2007. He is chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, has a longstanding reputation as a conservative agitator, and helped found the hardline House Freedom Caucus. Jordan is also the chair of the select subcommittee on the “weaponization” of the federal government. He supported objections to electoral college results when Congress met to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win on January 6, 2021.
Criticism: Democrats frequently criticize Jordan as a hyper-partisan Trump defender and have accused him of using his perch to shield the former president in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. As Jordan oversees key House GOP investigations, Democrats also point to the fact that he stonewalled in response to a subpoena for his testimony from the House select committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
Allegations: CNN reported in 2020 that six former Ohio State University wrestlers said they were present when Jordan heard or responded to sexual misconduct complaints about team doctor Richard Strauss. Jordan has emphatically denied that he knew anything about Strauss’ abuse during his own years working at OSU, between 1987 and 1995.
CNN’s Haley Talbot, Annie Grayer and Curt Devine contributed to this report.
The US Capitol on Monday morning. Jose Luis Magana/AP
The House speakership drama enters a new week under increased urgency as Israel declared war Sunday following unprecedented surprise attacks by Hamas.
Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster as speaker leaves the House in uncharted legal territory regarding what it can do under acting Speaker Patrick McHenry. When lawmakers return to Washington, they will be under pressure to elect a new speaker swiftly amid the crisis in Israel, which has prompted some calls from within the Republican Party to speed up their timeline given the national security implications of keeping the role vacant.
In a briefing with House leadership Sunday night, Biden administration briefers from the State and Defense Departments told lawmakers they are moving as quickly as they can to deliver weapons and resources to Israel that were part of already existing contracts by accelerating them, three people familiar with the call told CNN. That could help ensure that the US can provide some items as soon as possible even as there are larger questions about how quickly Congress could act on a larger aid package.
Administration officials said they will look to the current $100 million in Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the rapid dispatch of weapons from existing stocks, to send more aid immediately, according to a person familiar with the discussion. The drawdown will likely need additional funds from Congress, the officials told lawmakers.
As the Biden administration looks to provide additional assistance to Israel, officials were unsure Saturday about what could be accomplished without a sitting speaker. While McHenry is serving as speaker pro tempore, he has little power outside of recessing, adjourning or recognizing speaker nominations, and it’s unclear whether he can participate in intelligence briefings on the crisis in Israel.
Multiple lawmakers on national security and appropriations committees have asked for classified briefings, with indications that may happen soon after the Monday national holiday.
Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday that he had conversations with the White House and the National Security Council on Saturday, but he has not yet met with the so-called Gang of Eight – which typically includes the top leaders and heads of the intelligence committees in both parties and both chambers.
“I do anticipate that we’ll have the opportunity to have a secure briefing at some point next week,” Jeffries told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”
Jeffries said it is his understanding that the Biden administration can make some decisions regarding aid to Israel without waiting for Congress and urged the administration to do so, adding that he expects “it will provide whatever assistance it can.”
Republicans have a few more votes in the House, but they don’t exactly have a governing majority.
So Kevin McCarthy is now the former House speaker, and it’s not at all clear when the two men actively trying to replace him – House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana or the Donald Trump-endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio – will be able to unify the party and reopen the House. It will take near-total GOP unity to reopen the chamber.
The size of congressional majorities has generally shrunk in recent years, just as the country’s politics have gotten so much more tribal.
Since the “Republican Revolution” of 1994, only two majorities have exceeded 50 seats, compared with the previous decades when every Democratic majority exceeded 50 seats, usually alongside a series of Republican presidents.
There are plenty of reasons behind this era of small majorities, the first of which is that the country is closely divided and Congress, which is meant to be the “People’s House,” represents that divide.
But there’s more to it than that. Gerrymandered congressional maps are focused on protecting incumbents, which means fewer seats change hands, even when there is a shift in the country’s politics.
Despite anxiety about the economy and frustration with President Joe Biden, Republicans failed to gain many seats in the 2022 midterm elections, just barely eking out the House majority that’s giving them headaches today.
The lack of competitive seats makes it feel like we are stuck with a closely divided House and a closely divided Senate for the foreseeable future.
