Emmer spoke to Trump this weekend as he tries to lock down House speakership
From CNN's Melanie Zanona
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer spoke with former President Donald Trump by phone over the weekend, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN, as the Minnesota Republican works to win over his right flank in order to secure the speakership.
Some in Trump’s orbit have been openly critical of Emmer, in part because he voted to certify the 2020 election. It’s unclear if Trump will get involved this time around or if he will choose to stay neutral after his endorsed speaker candidate, Rep. Jim Jordan, came up short.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, who hasn’t endorsed anyone in this round but has said positive things about Emmer, claimed on his podcast that Emmer’s conversation with Trump went well.
According to a source close to Trump, however, the former president was not happy that the details of his call with Emmer leaked.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, meanwhile, announced he was endorsing Emmer, delivering an early boost for his candidacy.
25 min ago
Speaker candidate Kevin Hern says he wants Israel aid first and is open but not committed to Ukraine aid
From CNN's Lauren Fox
Rep. Kevin Hern leaves a closed-door House Republican meeting at the U.S. Capitol on October 20, in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Rep. Kevin Hern, a candidate for House speaker, told CNN that he has spent the last several days talking to 185 members and said his pitch is to “move forward” and not look back if he were to win the gavel, saying he wouldn’t take any retribution against the eight GOP members who voted to oust Kevin McCarthy earlier this month.
Hern also told CNN he would not put President Joe Biden's supplemental on the floor as it is written and instead would prioritize aid to Israel and only put Ukraine aid on the floor if the administration can specify where all the money is going. Hern said the Biden administration has so far had a “good start” on explaining that the funding they are asking for is to replenish US weapons systems, but he said he wants more and the rest of the conference will insist on it.
“We would split off Israel right now and get that passed because it would pass unanimously,” Hern said. “We know there is some consternation around Ukraine. All we have asked the President to do is just tell us where the money is going.”
Hern said he wants members briefed in a classified setting on what the strategy is for Ukraine “because we’re going to continue to send hundreds of billions of dollars with no end in sight.”
On government spending, Hern plans to try and pass as many of the outstanding appropriations bills as possible before November 17, but he acknowledged another short-term spending bill is probably necessary given the time constraint and the fact that whoever gets the speaker’s gavel will have mere weeks to work with the Senate to keep the government open. He argued that Republicans cannot allow an automatic, 1% cut to go into effect in April.
“We are going to do our work first and then we’ll look at a CR as we get closer,” Hern said of the immediate spending plan.
Hern warned the House will have to “work more days.”
Asked how he would deal with the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy, Hern said “You stay engaged with them. When you are a small majority, it’s a challenge."
Hern said he would “certainly listen to the conference” on whether he would get rid of the ability for just one member to bring a motion to vacate to the floor.
56 min ago
How this Congress keeps setting records with its House speaker votes
On Jan. 3, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy became the first candidate in the majority party to lose a bid for the House speakership in 100 years. He won the gavel in the 15th round of voting, making his election the longest since before the Civil War.
Then, on Oct. 3, McCarthy became the first House speaker in history to be removed by a motion to vacate.
Now, as the House seeks a new speaker, the 118th is the first ever Congress to need two speaker elections with multiple ballots. Rep. Jim Jordan, who on Friday lost his third round of voting and later lost in a secret ballot, is no longer a nominee.
Here is the history of multiple-ballot House speaker elections:
1 hr 15 min ago
These are the 9 Republicans running for House speaker
From CNN's Jack Forrest
Top row, from left: Republican representatives Gary Palmer, Mike Johnson, Tom Emmer, Dan Meuser and Kevin Hern. AP, Getty Images
The high-stakes race for House speaker enters a new phase this week, with a slate of new candidates vying for the gavel following Rep. Jim Jordan’s exit from the race.
House Republicans are expected to hold a candidate forum Monday evening to hear from the candidates — though it is not clear if any of the GOP lawmakers will be able to gather the support necessary from their conference to secure the 217 votes needed to serve in the House’s top spot.
These are the nine candidates:
Rep. Tom Emmer: Emmer, the House majority whip, said in a letter to his colleagues shared on Saturday that he was seeking the speakership with the goal of delivering “historic change.” McCarthy is backing the Minnesota Republican for speaker, delivering an early boost for his candidacy. Emmer, who voted to certify the 2020 election in a rebuke to former President Donald Trump, could face resistance from some members of the House Freedom Caucus skeptical of the current GOP leadership team and as Trump’s allies have attacked him.
Rep. Kevin Hern: The Oklahoma Republican, who chairs the influential Republican Study Committee, told CNN on Friday that he plans to run for speaker and will work “hard” to get people on his side. Hern chairs the conservative group known as the Republican Study Committee. Republican hardliners in the House Freedom Caucus floated Hern’s name as a possible nominee for speaker earlier this month.
Rep. Jack Bergman: Bergman, a 40-year veteran of the US Marines, is also running for the speaker role. The Michigan lawmaker reached the rank of lieutenant general in the US Marines before retiring – making him the highest-ranking combat veteran to have ever served in the House, according to his office.
Rep. Austin Scott: The Georgia Republican – who launched a last-minute bid against Jordan last week, but quickly dropped out and then supported his Ohio colleague – is running for speaker again now that the field is wide open, his spokesperson told CNN. The seven-term congressman has been a vocal ally and defender of McCarthy, criticizing the Republicans who voted to remove the California Republican as speaker.
Rep. Byron Donalds: The Florida Republican and Freedom Caucus member announced on X that he’s seeking the speakership to advance a “conservative vision for the House of Representatives and the American people.” Donalds also received votes from the GOP’s far-right members in January as a protest to McCarthy. He is serving his second term, winning his first election to Congress in 2020 after GOP Rep. Francis Rooney vacated Florida’s 19th Congressional District.
Rep. Mike Johnson: The Louisiana Republican, who serves as the House Republican conference vice chairman, also announced a run for speaker. Johnson was first elected to the House in 2016. He also serves as a deputy whip for the House GOP and was previously chairman of the Republican Study Committee.
Rep. Pete Sessions: Sessions of Texas announced his candidacy on Friday in a statement posted to X, describing himself as a “conservative leader who can unite the Conference.” He chaired the National Republican Congressional Committee from 2009 to 2012 and the House Rules Committee from 2013 to 2019. He currently serves on the Financial Services and Oversight and Reform Committees.
Rep. Dan Meuser: The Pennsylvania Republican was announced as a candidate for the job by House GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik on Sunday. First elected in 2018, Meuser was previously appointed as Pennsylvania’s secretary of revenue in 2011 by former Gov. Tom Corbett, according to his office.
Rep. Gary Palmer: Palmer of Alabama has also entered the race. He was elected to Alabama’s 6th District in 2014 and serves as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. Palmer also sits on the Committees on Oversight and Accountability, and Energy and Commerce.
1 hr 3 min ago
Meuser outlines speaker pitch to GOP conference and says he's opposed to tying Ukraine aid to Israel package
From CNN's Sam Fossum and Manu Raju
Rep. Dan Meuser leaves a closed-door House Republican meeting at the US Capitol on October 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Rep. Dan Meuser, one of the nine candidates running to be House speaker, outlined his pitch to the GOP conference ahead of the candidate forum this evening and said he would be opposed to passing Ukraine funding as part of an Israel package.
“We need to make the members the show, not the speaker the show. And so that means for fundraising, frankly, that means for communications that means for legislation, that means going through — for being a spokesperson that means doing everything we can to create a sense of ownership throughout the conference so everyone feels a responsibility. And once you feel a responsibility for policy, you can't criticize it because it's your own,” he told CNN’s Manu Raju.
When asked by CNN about the ongoing ill will pervasive throughout the conference, Meuser said you “need to work at it every day” and that he is “not interested in spending any energy on punishment” with regards to the eight Republicans who ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“Well, perhaps it's because some of the things that I mentioned, maybe some haven't felt respected over the years, maybe there have been some legacy issues, maybe some personalities. I mean, let's face it, Kevin McCarthy was taken out unfairly. Those people took him out. Most of them. Maybe all of them are my friends," Meuser said.
"As I said, I respect each and every one of them. That's got to be the case moving forward. Jim Jordan, I think was probably a response to those who took out Kevin McCarthy. Now, the next in line, whoever that's going to be, one of the nine. Hopefully, they're more agreeable to saying now it's time, the American people want us to stop this dysfunction and get on with it,” Meuser continued.
When asked about tying Ukraine and Israel aid, Meuser responded: “Absolutely not. I think it's. I think it's wrong. And they should — we need to we need to make bills simpler.”
Meuser also said that he is not in favor of a short-term spending bill as the government heads closer to a potential government shutdown in mid-November.
More about the candidate: First elected in 2018, Meuser was previously appointed as Pennsylvania’s secretary of revenue in 2011 by former Gov. Tom Corbett, according to his office. Meuser serves on the Financial Services and Small Business Committees, on which he serves as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access. He is also a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
CNN's Jack Forrest contributed reporting to this post.
1 hr 40 min ago
Uncertainty looms for future aid to Ukraine and Israel as House speaker drama continues
From CNN's Lauren Fox
Members of the House of Representatives vote on who to elect Speaker of the House in the US Capitol on October 20, in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
As the search for a speaker continues, some House Republicans are already casting doubt over the future of the administration’s $105 billion security supplemental request for aid to Ukraine, Israel, the southern border and Taiwan, a major issue that any future speaker will have to contend with.
A number of Republican rank and file in the House have made clear that the administration’s request won’t survive their chamber without changes and many House Republicans have already said that additional funding for border security isn’t enough without a policy overhaul, which would likely be a red line for many Senate Democrats.
“This is a hell no. And no one in the House GOP should support it. It’s asinine, unpaid for, ineffective and dangerous,” Rep. Chip Roy tweeted about the supplemental request.
Other Republicans who support parts of the request blasted the administration for trying to tie Israel funding to funding for Ukraine, which has seen cratering support in recent months.
“Israel deserves to have a conversation that is devoted to them right now,” Republican Rep. Mike Garcia, a defense appropriator told CNN. “We need to strip out the Ukraine funding and we need to give the Israeli partners the respect they deserve.”
Even those who have backed Ukraine aid and have pledged to support it in the future, want to understand why the administration is asking for so much.
“It seems like a lot,” Rep. Don Bacon said. “I’d like to see the breakout of the needs. I want to support it, but that seems like a lot of money.”
More background: There is broad bipartisan support for Ukraine, but funding the military efforts there has become a flashpoint for conservatives and an issue that will likely bedevil a future speaker just as it had former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The administration’s request included more than $60 billion in assistance for Ukraine with over $14 billion for Israel. The Israel funding will likely move quickly in the House, but it’s very likely that the future speaker would decouple the requests so they are voted on individually.
The tightrope any future speaker will walk is that the Republican conference is divided over sending additional aid to Ukraine. On the one hand, hardliners derided McCarthy for his support of the country early on in the war and McCarthy had remained publicly noncommittal about putting a future aid package on the floor. But, there are some members for whom support Ukraine is an essential issue.
House Republicans share schedule of next steps in speaker race and election
From CNN's Manu Raju
House Republicans shared the following schedule regarding next steps in the speaker race and election:
The deadline for members to file their candidacy as speaker was Sunday at noon ET. Nine candidates are running for the position, House GOP conference chair Rep. Elise Stefanik announced.
The candidate forum will be held Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET. Members will be able to make their case to the GOP conference.
The secret ballot leadership election will take place Tuesday 9 a.m. ET.
The timing of a floor vote is still unclear.
1 hr 43 min ago
The House entered a third week without a speaker. Catch up on the latest developments
From CNN's Isabelle D'Antonio and Jack Forrest
The US Capitol is seen on Monday, October 23, in Washington, DC. Mariam Zuhaib/AP
As the House enters its third week without a speaker, nearly a dozen Republicans are vying to earn the support of their conference to wield the gavel, throwing the chamber into even more uncertainty.
The conference is searching for a new speaker nominee after Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday became the latest to exit the race. The chamber has been without a speaker since House Republicans ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy earlier this month.
Nine House Republicans are running for the position, announced House GOP conference chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, including GOP Whip Tom Emmer, who is endorsed by McCarthy. Emmer has moved to lock in support across the ideological and geographic spectrum in the conference, giving him what many House Republicans believe is an advantage, according to GOP sources. Though he could face an uphill battle against allies of former President Donald Trump who have been quick to criticize Emmer for voting to certify the 2020 election.
The speaker hopefuls spent the weekend working the phones to win their conference’s support ahead of an expected candidate forum Monday evening and secret-ballot election Tuesday. These are the other GOP representatives running for speaker:
Jack Bergman of Michigan, a retired 40-year veteran of the US Marines.
Byron Donalds of Florida, a second-term member of the far-right Freedom Caucus.
Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, chair of the conservative group known as the Republican Study Committee – which wields a large bloc of GOP members.
Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the vice chairman for the House Republican conference.
Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
Gary Palmer of Alabama, the chairman of the Republican Policy Committee.
Austin Scott of Georgia, the seven-term ally of McCarthy who quickly dropped out of a last-minute challenge to Jordan last week.
Pete Sessions, the longtime Texas Republican once entangled in scandal after pushing for the ouster of the US ambassador to Ukraine who was critical of Trump.
Frustrations and divisions have only intensified within the conference as Republicans search for a way to resolve the impasse. That, along with the GOP’s narrow majority, has made it increasingly unclear whether any candidate will be able to secure the 217 floor votes needed to win the gavel.
The House, meanwhile, remains in a state of paralysis amid the threat of a government shutdown next month and the Israel-Hamas war. The government runs out of funding in less than a month, after narrowly avoiding a shutdown with a stopgap funding bill last month. A speaker will need to be involved in negotiations with the White House and the Senate, both of which are controlled by Democrats.
And there is momentum for a bill to give further aid to Israel’s war against Hamas. President Joe Biden has asked Congress for a $105 billion package that will include aid for Israel and Ukraine, which is said to be running out of munitions in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
Today's candidate forum: Republicans are expected to hold a House speaker candidate forum this evening as they scramble to find a new nominee and a path forward after voting to push Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan out of the race Friday. The GOP conference will hear speeches from speaker candidates tonight during a closed-door meeting and then hold a secret-ballot election Tuesday to select a nominee.
The candidates:Nine House Republicans are running for the speaker position, including GOP Whip Tom Emmer, who is endorsed by Kevin McCarthy. The GOP’s narrow majority in the chamber has made it increasingly unclear whether any candidate will be able to secure the 217 floor votes needed to win the gavel.
Chamber in limbo: The House, which has been without a speaker since McCarthy was ousted earlier this month, remains effectively frozen — a dire situation as Congress faces a government funding deadline in November and as crisis unfolds abroad in Ukraine and with Israel’s war against Hamas.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer spoke with former President Donald Trump by phone over the weekend, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN, as the Minnesota Republican works to win over his right flank in order to secure the speakership.
Some in Trump’s orbit have been openly critical of Emmer, in part because he voted to certify the 2020 election. It’s unclear if Trump will get involved this time around or if he will choose to stay neutral after his endorsed speaker candidate, Rep. Jim Jordan, came up short.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, who hasn’t endorsed anyone in this round but has said positive things about Emmer, claimed on his podcast that Emmer’s conversation with Trump went well.
According to a source close to Trump, however, the former president was not happy that the details of his call with Emmer leaked.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, meanwhile, announced he was endorsing Emmer, delivering an early boost for his candidacy.
Rep. Kevin Hern leaves a closed-door House Republican meeting at the U.S. Capitol on October 20, in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Rep. Kevin Hern, a candidate for House speaker, told CNN that he has spent the last several days talking to 185 members and said his pitch is to “move forward” and not look back if he were to win the gavel, saying he wouldn’t take any retribution against the eight GOP members who voted to oust Kevin McCarthy earlier this month.
Hern also told CNN he would not put President Joe Biden's supplemental on the floor as it is written and instead would prioritize aid to Israel and only put Ukraine aid on the floor if the administration can specify where all the money is going. Hern said the Biden administration has so far had a “good start” on explaining that the funding they are asking for is to replenish US weapons systems, but he said he wants more and the rest of the conference will insist on it.
“We would split off Israel right now and get that passed because it would pass unanimously,” Hern said. “We know there is some consternation around Ukraine. All we have asked the President to do is just tell us where the money is going.”
Hern said he wants members briefed in a classified setting on what the strategy is for Ukraine “because we’re going to continue to send hundreds of billions of dollars with no end in sight.”
On government spending, Hern plans to try and pass as many of the outstanding appropriations bills as possible before November 17, but he acknowledged another short-term spending bill is probably necessary given the time constraint and the fact that whoever gets the speaker’s gavel will have mere weeks to work with the Senate to keep the government open. He argued that Republicans cannot allow an automatic, 1% cut to go into effect in April.
“We are going to do our work first and then we’ll look at a CR as we get closer,” Hern said of the immediate spending plan.
Hern warned the House will have to “work more days.”
Asked how he would deal with the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy, Hern said “You stay engaged with them. When you are a small majority, it’s a challenge."
Hern said he would “certainly listen to the conference” on whether he would get rid of the ability for just one member to bring a motion to vacate to the floor.
On Jan. 3, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy became the first candidate in the majority party to lose a bid for the House speakership in 100 years. He won the gavel in the 15th round of voting, making his election the longest since before the Civil War.
Then, on Oct. 3, McCarthy became the first House speaker in history to be removed by a motion to vacate.
Now, as the House seeks a new speaker, the 118th is the first ever Congress to need two speaker elections with multiple ballots. Rep. Jim Jordan, who on Friday lost his third round of voting and later lost in a secret ballot, is no longer a nominee.
Here is the history of multiple-ballot House speaker elections:
Top row, from left: Republican representatives Gary Palmer, Mike Johnson, Tom Emmer, Dan Meuser and Kevin Hern. AP, Getty Images
The high-stakes race for House speaker enters a new phase this week, with a slate of new candidates vying for the gavel following Rep. Jim Jordan’s exit from the race.
House Republicans are expected to hold a candidate forum Monday evening to hear from the candidates — though it is not clear if any of the GOP lawmakers will be able to gather the support necessary from their conference to secure the 217 votes needed to serve in the House’s top spot.
These are the nine candidates:
Rep. Tom Emmer: Emmer, the House majority whip, said in a letter to his colleagues shared on Saturday that he was seeking the speakership with the goal of delivering “historic change.” McCarthy is backing the Minnesota Republican for speaker, delivering an early boost for his candidacy. Emmer, who voted to certify the 2020 election in a rebuke to former President Donald Trump, could face resistance from some members of the House Freedom Caucus skeptical of the current GOP leadership team and as Trump’s allies have attacked him.
Rep. Kevin Hern: The Oklahoma Republican, who chairs the influential Republican Study Committee, told CNN on Friday that he plans to run for speaker and will work “hard” to get people on his side. Hern chairs the conservative group known as the Republican Study Committee. Republican hardliners in the House Freedom Caucus floated Hern’s name as a possible nominee for speaker earlier this month.
Rep. Jack Bergman: Bergman, a 40-year veteran of the US Marines, is also running for the speaker role. The Michigan lawmaker reached the rank of lieutenant general in the US Marines before retiring – making him the highest-ranking combat veteran to have ever served in the House, according to his office.
Rep. Austin Scott: The Georgia Republican – who launched a last-minute bid against Jordan last week, but quickly dropped out and then supported his Ohio colleague – is running for speaker again now that the field is wide open, his spokesperson told CNN. The seven-term congressman has been a vocal ally and defender of McCarthy, criticizing the Republicans who voted to remove the California Republican as speaker.
Rep. Byron Donalds: The Florida Republican and Freedom Caucus member announced on X that he’s seeking the speakership to advance a “conservative vision for the House of Representatives and the American people.” Donalds also received votes from the GOP’s far-right members in January as a protest to McCarthy. He is serving his second term, winning his first election to Congress in 2020 after GOP Rep. Francis Rooney vacated Florida’s 19th Congressional District.
Rep. Mike Johnson: The Louisiana Republican, who serves as the House Republican conference vice chairman, also announced a run for speaker. Johnson was first elected to the House in 2016. He also serves as a deputy whip for the House GOP and was previously chairman of the Republican Study Committee.
Rep. Pete Sessions: Sessions of Texas announced his candidacy on Friday in a statement posted to X, describing himself as a “conservative leader who can unite the Conference.” He chaired the National Republican Congressional Committee from 2009 to 2012 and the House Rules Committee from 2013 to 2019. He currently serves on the Financial Services and Oversight and Reform Committees.
Rep. Dan Meuser: The Pennsylvania Republican was announced as a candidate for the job by House GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik on Sunday. First elected in 2018, Meuser was previously appointed as Pennsylvania’s secretary of revenue in 2011 by former Gov. Tom Corbett, according to his office.
Rep. Gary Palmer: Palmer of Alabama has also entered the race. He was elected to Alabama’s 6th District in 2014 and serves as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. Palmer also sits on the Committees on Oversight and Accountability, and Energy and Commerce.
Rep. Dan Meuser leaves a closed-door House Republican meeting at the US Capitol on October 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Rep. Dan Meuser, one of the nine candidates running to be House speaker, outlined his pitch to the GOP conference ahead of the candidate forum this evening and said he would be opposed to passing Ukraine funding as part of an Israel package.
“We need to make the members the show, not the speaker the show. And so that means for fundraising, frankly, that means for communications that means for legislation, that means going through — for being a spokesperson that means doing everything we can to create a sense of ownership throughout the conference so everyone feels a responsibility. And once you feel a responsibility for policy, you can't criticize it because it's your own,” he told CNN’s Manu Raju.
When asked by CNN about the ongoing ill will pervasive throughout the conference, Meuser said you “need to work at it every day” and that he is “not interested in spending any energy on punishment” with regards to the eight Republicans who ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“Well, perhaps it's because some of the things that I mentioned, maybe some haven't felt respected over the years, maybe there have been some legacy issues, maybe some personalities. I mean, let's face it, Kevin McCarthy was taken out unfairly. Those people took him out. Most of them. Maybe all of them are my friends," Meuser said.
"As I said, I respect each and every one of them. That's got to be the case moving forward. Jim Jordan, I think was probably a response to those who took out Kevin McCarthy. Now, the next in line, whoever that's going to be, one of the nine. Hopefully, they're more agreeable to saying now it's time, the American people want us to stop this dysfunction and get on with it,” Meuser continued.
When asked about tying Ukraine and Israel aid, Meuser responded: “Absolutely not. I think it's. I think it's wrong. And they should — we need to we need to make bills simpler.”
Meuser also said that he is not in favor of a short-term spending bill as the government heads closer to a potential government shutdown in mid-November.
More about the candidate: First elected in 2018, Meuser was previously appointed as Pennsylvania’s secretary of revenue in 2011 by former Gov. Tom Corbett, according to his office. Meuser serves on the Financial Services and Small Business Committees, on which he serves as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access. He is also a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
CNN's Jack Forrest contributed reporting to this post.
Members of the House of Representatives vote on who to elect Speaker of the House in the US Capitol on October 20, in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
As the search for a speaker continues, some House Republicans are already casting doubt over the future of the administration’s $105 billion security supplemental request for aid to Ukraine, Israel, the southern border and Taiwan, a major issue that any future speaker will have to contend with.
A number of Republican rank and file in the House have made clear that the administration’s request won’t survive their chamber without changes and many House Republicans have already said that additional funding for border security isn’t enough without a policy overhaul, which would likely be a red line for many Senate Democrats.
“This is a hell no. And no one in the House GOP should support it. It’s asinine, unpaid for, ineffective and dangerous,” Rep. Chip Roy tweeted about the supplemental request.
Other Republicans who support parts of the request blasted the administration for trying to tie Israel funding to funding for Ukraine, which has seen cratering support in recent months.
“Israel deserves to have a conversation that is devoted to them right now,” Republican Rep. Mike Garcia, a defense appropriator told CNN. “We need to strip out the Ukraine funding and we need to give the Israeli partners the respect they deserve.”
Even those who have backed Ukraine aid and have pledged to support it in the future, want to understand why the administration is asking for so much.
“It seems like a lot,” Rep. Don Bacon said. “I’d like to see the breakout of the needs. I want to support it, but that seems like a lot of money.”
More background: There is broad bipartisan support for Ukraine, but funding the military efforts there has become a flashpoint for conservatives and an issue that will likely bedevil a future speaker just as it had former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The administration’s request included more than $60 billion in assistance for Ukraine with over $14 billion for Israel. The Israel funding will likely move quickly in the House, but it’s very likely that the future speaker would decouple the requests so they are voted on individually.
The tightrope any future speaker will walk is that the Republican conference is divided over sending additional aid to Ukraine. On the one hand, hardliners derided McCarthy for his support of the country early on in the war and McCarthy had remained publicly noncommittal about putting a future aid package on the floor. But, there are some members for whom support Ukraine is an essential issue.
House Republicans shared the following schedule regarding next steps in the speaker race and election:
The deadline for members to file their candidacy as speaker was Sunday at noon ET. Nine candidates are running for the position, House GOP conference chair Rep. Elise Stefanik announced.
The candidate forum will be held Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET. Members will be able to make their case to the GOP conference.
The secret ballot leadership election will take place Tuesday 9 a.m. ET.
The timing of a floor vote is still unclear.
The US Capitol is seen on Monday, October 23, in Washington, DC. Mariam Zuhaib/AP
As the House enters its third week without a speaker, nearly a dozen Republicans are vying to earn the support of their conference to wield the gavel, throwing the chamber into even more uncertainty.
The conference is searching for a new speaker nominee after Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday became the latest to exit the race. The chamber has been without a speaker since House Republicans ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy earlier this month.
Nine House Republicans are running for the position, announced House GOP conference chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, including GOP Whip Tom Emmer, who is endorsed by McCarthy. Emmer has moved to lock in support across the ideological and geographic spectrum in the conference, giving him what many House Republicans believe is an advantage, according to GOP sources. Though he could face an uphill battle against allies of former President Donald Trump who have been quick to criticize Emmer for voting to certify the 2020 election.
The speaker hopefuls spent the weekend working the phones to win their conference’s support ahead of an expected candidate forum Monday evening and secret-ballot election Tuesday. These are the other GOP representatives running for speaker:
Jack Bergman of Michigan, a retired 40-year veteran of the US Marines.
Byron Donalds of Florida, a second-term member of the far-right Freedom Caucus.
Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, chair of the conservative group known as the Republican Study Committee – which wields a large bloc of GOP members.
Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the vice chairman for the House Republican conference.
Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
Gary Palmer of Alabama, the chairman of the Republican Policy Committee.
Austin Scott of Georgia, the seven-term ally of McCarthy who quickly dropped out of a last-minute challenge to Jordan last week.
Pete Sessions, the longtime Texas Republican once entangled in scandal after pushing for the ouster of the US ambassador to Ukraine who was critical of Trump.
Frustrations and divisions have only intensified within the conference as Republicans search for a way to resolve the impasse. That, along with the GOP’s narrow majority, has made it increasingly unclear whether any candidate will be able to secure the 217 floor votes needed to win the gavel.
The House, meanwhile, remains in a state of paralysis amid the threat of a government shutdown next month and the Israel-Hamas war. The government runs out of funding in less than a month, after narrowly avoiding a shutdown with a stopgap funding bill last month. A speaker will need to be involved in negotiations with the White House and the Senate, both of which are controlled by Democrats.
And there is momentum for a bill to give further aid to Israel’s war against Hamas. President Joe Biden has asked Congress for a $105 billion package that will include aid for Israel and Ukraine, which is said to be running out of munitions in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
