Is Republicans’ Inability To Find A House Speaker Nominee A Gift To Democrats?
The opposition Republican Party last week sank into new depths of disarray and dysfunction. Critics say not for a very long time has a major party appeared so broken.
The deepening chaos has left the House of Representatives leaderless at an extraordinary moment of peril in Ukraine and the Middle East.
In the meantime, Republicans’ inability to find a House Speaker nominee should, in theory, present a campaign gift to Democrats in next year’s presidential elections.
“Deep Schisms Within The Party”
The latest setback came on Friday when Jim Jordan of Ohio lost a third vote to become speaker and was then unceremoniously dumped by Republicans as their nominee.
After Kevin McCarthy was abruptly removed from his role on October 3 and Steve Scalise of Louisiana failed to garner enough support, Jordan had made an unlikely effort to unite the party.
Kurt Bardella, a Democratic strategist, said: “The fact that there isn’t a single Republican right now who can get 217 votes is illustrative of deep schisms within the party.”
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US Send Aid To Israel And Ukraine – In Focus
Now ending its third week without a leader, the House of Representatives cannot act on a $106 billion package that would bolster US border security and send aid to Israel and Ukraine.
Top US officials have raised concerns over a potential escalation of Israel-Hamas war. The raging violence has claimed thousands of innocent lives on either sides.
Congress also faces a November 17 deadline to pass funding to keep the government open. On the brink of a shutdown, the House swiftly approved a temporary funding plan last month.
GOP To Nominate A Third Candidate
Republicans plan to reconvene on Monday to begin the process of nominating a third candidate to try to get the 217 votes needed to secure the speakership.
Following more than two weeks of failing to choose a speaker, here is a look at the nine candidates who signed up to run ahead of a noon deadline Sunday.
The list includes the following names: Tom Emmer, Mike Johnson, Kevin Hern, Byron Donalds, Austin Scott, Jack Bergman, Pete Sessions, Gary Palmer and Dan Meuser.
