House GOP will meet in search of speaker after Hamas attack on Israel

House Republicans will gather in the same chamber Monday night for the first time since Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted last week. The meeting takes place in a political landscape rocked by Hamas’s attack on Israel. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) will each pitch to their colleagues why they should replace McCarthy.

To be elected either president, they will need the support of 217 lawmakers, or half of the current House – a number that is difficult to achieve in the divided Republican party. McCarthy was unable to secure that level of support when he suffered a disastrous move to vacate the seat carried by rebel Republican Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).

It’s unclear whether either Jordan or Scalise have yet found a path that will bring them to 217. Meanwhile, some McCarthy allies and centrists are demanding changes to House rules that would free the new speaker from the prospect of being removed with a proposal made by a single legislature.

Although he has garnered support, some more moderate members are already raising concerns about Jordan’s ability to help in swing districts in the 2024 election. The former founding chairman of the House Freedom Caucus took a leading role in the first inquiry hearing impeachment of Biden. This means it cannot appeal to independents.

The House is currently in difficulty due to the lack of a speaker. The White House reached out to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries over the weekend to arrange an all-member briefing, with Republican leadership up in the air. Lawmakers are already circulating a resolution expressing support in Congress in light of the stunning terror attack that killed 700 Israelis. The State Department said 9 Americans were among the victims.

Although the Biden administration has said it is already in a position to move a military aid package to Israel, it may need Congress soon before it can take additional action. As of now, Rep. Patrick McHenry (RN.C.) is serving as the speaker’s interim representative. But the extent of McHenry’s authority is a matter of dispute.

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