Chaos on Capitol Hill: House Republicans will huddle behind closed doors TONIGHT in search of a Speaker as Israel war explodes amid power vacuum

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 leads 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 by a single lawmaker.

Although he has gathered 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 impeachment hearing for Biden. which means it cannot be addressed 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.

Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Steve Scalise (R-La.) are in a race to succeed Kevin McCarthy as speaker

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.

The absence of power in Parliament comes as Israel declared war on Hamas, pounding the Gaza Strip after a stunning terror attack by the militants

Former President John Boehner once called Jordan a “legislative terrorist”

Scalise is battling health challenges as she seeks to rise to the top spot

Some lawmakers would like to try to reinstate Kevin McCarthy as speaker, but he has said he is not seeking the post after his surprise ouster

But the extent of McHenry’s authority is a matter of dispute.

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, said McHenry’s authority is limited.

“I want to clear up some confusion. As the unelected sitting Speaker pro tempore (Patrick McHenry) his job is to guide the House towards the election of a new Speaker. This is. Its power is limited by the plain text of Rule 1, Clause 8 of the Rules of the House,” McGovern wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

If no Republican can reach 217 votes, the seat will remain vacant.