Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA) announced that he would not be seeking the House Speakership, despite winning the Republican Conference’s approval. When given the choice between Rep. Scalise and Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH), Republicans voted for Rep. Scalise, but not enough said they would vote for the Louisiana Republican on the House floor. With Scalise out of the picture and an international crisis at stake, what’s next for Republicans?
Democrats have accused Republicans of holding up business in the lower chamber.
For instance, freshman Representative Jeff Jackson (D-NC) called it “The biggest mess he’s seen,” and that “Any Republican who wants to be speaker who even *hints* at working with Democrats to get some votes is probably toast in their party.”
Big reason there’s still no speaker:
Any Republican who wants to be speaker who even *hints* at working with Democrats to get some votes is probably toast in their party. pic.twitter.com/4LFAFqv0XJ
— Rep. Jeff Jackson (@JeffJacksonNC) October 13, 2023
“So, the person who won the internal vote for Speaker just announced he’s no longer running for Speaker, which means we’re on to Plan C. And I don’t know what that is. We will work our way out of this. But we have to do it fast because the government is scheduled to shut down in 35 days, and we can’t begin to solve that problem until we have a Speaker,” wrote Rep. Jackson.
Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) mentioned that the “extreme MAGA Republicans have left the House of Representatives in disarray.”
You can count on me to stand with @POTUS in reaffirming our unwavering commitment to Israel.
But, we have a serious issue in the inability of the Republicans to govern at this very important moment.
My message for Floridians is clear, we must find a bipartisan pathway forward. pic.twitter.com/vLwjuVFpUv— US Rep Kathy Castor (@USRepKCastor) October 13, 2023
“It is likely that President Biden is going to send a security package to the Congress to act for support of Israel, for Ukraine, to strengthen the U.S. border. But there is a problem that the extreme MAGA Republicans have left in disarray. They’re blocking the election of the Speaker of the House. We cannot do business while we don’t have a Speaker,” said Rep. Castor.
However, some Republicans believe that the ball is in the Democrats’ hands when it comes to Israel funding.
Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) appeared frustrated as reporters questioned the Republican Conference’s ability to put together a funding package for Israel. Currently, the nation-state is waging all-out war in retaliation to the terrorist attacks committed by Hamas which left nearly 1,200 Israelis dead and thousands injured.
After the House Republican Conferenced failed to come to a consensus on who they would vote to be the next Speaker of the House of Representatives, reporters asked Rep. Roy his thoughts concerning getting legislation passed in a timely manner.
The Texas congressman replied with a question of his own, “Where’s [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer?” and asserted that Republicans have already passed a bill that includes funding for Israel.
“We can go through our motion. We’ve already sent a bill over to the Senate that’s got funding for Israel and [a] Department of Defense bill, the Senate can take it up any day. Where’s Chuck Schumer? When are you guys going to clamor about what Chuck Schumer is going to do, they can move bills,” Rep. Roy said.
.@RepChipRoy Frustrated With Democrat Senate Over Funding Israel, Rips Dump Question From Reporter
Reported by @jacksonbakich via @Tex_Pol
READ MORE: https://t.co/sXPtoWpezy
#Israel #Texpol pic.twitter.com/gYiFUXIIkw
— Texas Politics (@Tex_Pol) October 13, 2023
He would go on to mention, “Let’s see them act and if we need to do something, we can act, we’re a majoritarian body. If there’s a crisis that we need to go address, we can do it. But to go to a non-binding resolution as if the fate of the world hangs in the balance – Oh yeah, let’s just go pluck the person out of row 11 to go fly the plane, is that what you guys want? Just because there’s a sense of urgency?”
As always, it is never one party's fault.
This is a developing story.
