Today on the Hill: The latest developments on Capitol Hill

Congress returns Monday after a two-week break and the list of major issues facing lawmakers has only grown while they were away from D.C.

Most immediately, Congress will need to consider an emergency aid package related to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which has effectively closed the port.

The economic impact from a cargo ship crashing into the bridge and taking it down is being felt well beyond Baltimore, which handles more “roll on, roll off” cargo than any port in the United States.

Read the full story.

House Republicans said Thursday that D.C.’s crime problem is undermining public safety near the U.S. Capitol, due to an increase in robberies and carjackings that have affected lawmakers and congressional staff members.

“D.C. crime is out of control,” Rep. Bryan Steil, GOP chair of the House Administration Committee said during a hearing to examine criminal activity on Capitol Hill.

Read the full story.

The chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said that he’s encouraged by new efforts from U.S. investors to purchase social media platform TikTok.

TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a company linked to the Chinese government.

The Senate is  considering a bill passed by the House this week, which if it is ultimately approved and signed by President Joe Biden, calls for ByteDance to either divest from TikTok or be banned in the United States.

Warner, like other lawmakers, is concerned that Chinese control of TikTok’s parent company presents a significant national security risk.  However, he stressed that he and other lawmakers who support the latest legislation aren’t trying to deny access to the estimated 170 million Americans who use the app.

Read the full story.

Legislation that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if the Chinese company that owns the popular social media app fails to sell it passed in the House on Wednesday in a 352-65 vote, with one lawmaker voting present.

The measure would require TikTok to be sold by its parent company, ByteDance, which is linked to the Chinese government.

The legislation will still need to be approved by the Senate and be signed by President Joe Biden to become law.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and ranking Republican Sen. Marco Rubio released a joint statement following the bill’s passage in the House.

“We were encouraged by today’s strong bipartisan vote in the House…and look forward to working together to get this bill passed through the Senate and signed into law,” the senators wrote in the joint statement on Wednesday.

The bill has bipartisan support and had previously moved to the House floor quickly, unlike much of the legislation lawmakers have been considering this session. It was approved Thursday on a rare, unanimous vote by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Supporters of the legislation say it’s long overdue, owing to concerns that the Communist Party in China could use data to spy on Americans or influence public opinion.

It would give ByteDance 165 days to sell TikTok. If that didn’t happen, it would become illegal for app stores, such as those operated by Google or Apple, to make it available to download.

“We will not allow for the continued targeting, surveilling and manipulation of Americans through foreign adversary-controlled apps,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Ore., who chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee.

But opponents argue that the ban would infringe on First Amendment rights and take away a popular video app that’s used by an estimated 170 million Americans.

Most of its users are younger and TikTok’s supporters say that a ban will cripple many fledgling businesses that have been promoted through the app.

Former President Trump recently said he opposed a ban — a reversal of his earlier position when he was in the White House.

But unlike on other issues, many House Republicans decided they would break with the former president on the ban.

Read more by the Associated Press.

President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address was one of the most partisan many in Congress can remember.

That’s not surprising, given the fact that the 2024 presidential ballot is set for a rematch between Biden and former President Donald Trump.

Read the full story.

This year’s presidential campaign is now fully underway following Nikki Haley’s decision to suspend her campaign. Her exit sets up another battle between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, who will give his State of the Union address on Thursday night.

“The race is set now,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, flanked by GOP leaders on Wednesday. “It will be a rematch and we like that rematch.”

Polls, however, indicate most voters are not looking forward to a repeat of the 2020 battle between the two candidates.

But the race between Trump, 77, and Biden, 81, is now on.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has not spoken to Trump in more than three years since the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, announced on Wednesday that he is endorsing him for the GOP nomination.

“It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States,” McConnell said in a statement.

McConnell has rarely mentioned the former president, unless asked a direct question by Capitol Hill reporters. Trump has often criticized him, calling him “old crow.”

But McConnell had consistently said that he would support the Republican Party’s presidential nominee.

The chair of the House Republican Conference, Rep. Elise Stefanik, is more enthusiastic about the results of Super Tuesday.

“The American people have spoken,” Stefanik said. “They made clear what we have known for months. President Donald J. Trump is our Republican nominee.”

His nomination is now all but a formality, after winning 14 of the 15 state contests on Super Tuesday.

President Biden will be the Democrats’ nominee.

Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., who has been running against Biden in a campaign that attracted little attention, announced on Wednesday that he was suspending his campaign.

State of the Union

Members of both parties are gearing up for Thursday night’s State of the Union address, which will likely be the largest television audience President Biden will attract before the November election.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said the president has a lot of accomplishments he can point to, which include encouraging bipartisan legislation.

But he also alluded to the need to counter concerns about his age.

“I think it’s critically important for President Biden to show energy,” Warner said. “(And) to counter some of the concerns about the economy, because there’s a lot of good news to talk about.”

Warner acknowledges that inflation remains too high, but he also points to record highs on Wall Street, low unemployment and steady job growth.

The Democratic lawmaker said he also believes the president should not shy away from issues involving the southern border, which have been the focus of frequent attacks from Republicans.

“I do think he should make clear … the border’s a mess,” Warner said.

He believes the president should point out that the recent bipartisan Senate border deal died because former President Trump didn’t like it, suggesting he wants to run on the border issue to “bash” Biden.

“We live in a town that’s pretty full of hypocrisy, but that kind of hypocrisy was breathtaking,” Warner said.

House Republicans make no apologies for opposing the border deal and are criticizing suggestions that President Biden is seeking a “reset” with voters in this election year.

“The problem with their strategy is that the American people are going to see right through whatever scripted rhetoric Biden ends up reading off the teleprompter tomorrow night,” said House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. “Joe Biden has failed on every single issue.”

Election outlook for Congress

The battle for control of the House and Senate is again going to be fierce in 2024.

Democrats are on defense in Senate races, with nearly two dozen incumbents trying to hold onto their seats. By comparison, only 10 Republicans are defending their seats.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., took a major step toward getting elected to one of California’s U.S. Senate seats on Super Tuesday. He received the most votes, followed by Republican former Major League baseball star Steve Garvey.

Schiff focused most of his attention during the primary on Garvey, rather than his two Democratic rivals, Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee.

That’s because in the so-called “jungle primary” only the two top vote-getting candidates are left on the fall ballot.

Since California is largely blue, Schiff is favored to beat Garvey, who formerly played for the Dodgers and Padres.

In Texas, Rep. Colin Allred won his Democratic primary, avoiding a runoff. The former NFL player will face U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who defeated then-Rep. Beto O’Rourke in 2018.
Control of the House could turn on just a few races, since Republicans currently hold only a 219-213 majority.

In California, the 22nd District race will be getting a lot of attention.

Votes are still being counted, with Republican Rep. David Valadao leading Democrat Rudy Salas and two other candidates. Only the top two vote-getters will be on the ballot in the fall.

Democrats are hoping Salas will be able to flip the swing district seat. Valadao beat Salas in 2022, in what was one of the most expensive House races in the country.

The legacy of abolitionist Frederick Douglass played a significant role in the creation of Black History Month, which takes place each February, the month that he was born.

Now, 129 years after his death, a Maryland congressman is seeking to honor Douglass with the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the legislative body’s highest national expression for distinguished achievement.

Douglass died on this day — Feb. 20, 1895 — at his home in Cedar Hill, in D.C.’s Anacostia neighborhood.

Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., has introduced the bill to posthumously give the medal to Douglass.

Read full story here. 

The next deadline for a government shutdown is less than two weeks away, but Congress will be gone until nearly the end of the month, causing some lawmakers to send warning flares about another pending spending crisis.

The U.S. House ended its session on Thursday — a day early — after Republicans were unable to secure votes within their own party to address issues including government surveillance and tax cuts.

House members don’t return into session until Feb. 28 — just three days before the next partial government shutdown deadline on March 1.

Read the full story here. 

It took several months and a marathon session that ended in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, but the Senate finally approved a $95 billion national security package, including aid for Ukraine and Israel.

But House Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated he won’t bring up the sweeping legislation for a vote.

So, what happens now?

Read the full story here.

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s decision to run for the U.S. Senate creates the potential for a high-stakes race the state hasn’t experienced in decades.

It was 50 years ago that Democrat Barbara Mikulski lost to the last Republican U.S. Senator to serve in Maryland, Charles Mathias.

Read the full story here.

Members of the Virginia and Maryland congressional delegations are vowing to fight a new effort to expand the number of flights in and out of Reagan National Airport.

The Senate Commerce Committee has decided to allow an additional five slots at the airport for long-distance flights.

U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia and U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said they are “deeply disappointed” in the decision, which they said threatened to “overburden” the airport.

Read the full story here.

Legislation has moved ahead in Congress that would allow the redevelopment of the old RFK Stadium site and potentially clear the way for a new football stadium for the Washington Commanders.

The House Natural Resources Committee voted this week to advance legislation to allow D.C. to enter a 99-year lease with the National Park Service.

Read the full story here.

The bipartisan U.S. Senate agreement on the southern border took months to reach, but it was only a matter of hours after its release that it was blasted by House GOP leadership and former President Trump.

The border deal would make some of the most significant changes to U.S. immigration policy in years.

Read the full story here.

Members of Congress are growing increasingly frustrated with Big Tech and what many lawmakers believe is lip service to concerns about how social media sites are impacting the mental health of children.

That was clear at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where the leaders of five major tech firms were pounded with questions from lawmakers this week.

Executives from Meta, TikTok, the platform ‘X,’ Snap and Discord testified.

These types of hearings have taken place several times in recent years — the CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, had previously testified eight times.

But the latest hearing had a sharper tone, suggesting lawmakers are ready to do more this time around.

Read the full story here.

The chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee said he worries the U.S. is now less prepared than it was in 2020 for foreign adversaries sowing disinformation in the presidential election.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., has closely monitored foreign efforts to meddle in U.S. elections since 2016, when it became clear Russia was using social media to spread disinformation designed to confuse American voters.

Read the full story here.

Congress voted to approve a short-term spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown Thursday, ahead of a Friday night deadline.

The House voted 314-108 to approve the continuing resolution. The House action came after the Senate voted earlier to approve the measure, 77-18 and now goes to President Biden for his signature.

The House moved up a vote to Thursday, due to concern about the forecast for snow in the Washington area, as lawmakers prepared to leave town.

House Speaker Mike Johnson needed help from Democrats to get the bill to final passage, since it required a two-thirds majority. A total of 107 Republicans voted for it, while 106 GOP lawmakers voted against it.

In the last vote for a continuing resolution in November, 93 Republicans opposed it. The previous spending measure was a so-called “laddered” continuing resolution, which extended funding to Jan. 19, as well as Feb. 2.

The current legislation is similar, with an initial deadline for four spending bills expiring March 1 and a second deadline for eight other spending bills on March 8.

Johnson initially indicated he wouldn’t support another short-term spending plan, given the opposition within his GOP conference. But he agreed with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to an overall top-line spending figure of close to $1.6 trillion and decided to stick with that agreement, despite sharp criticism from conservatives.

Congressional leaders hope to move on from the shutdown showdown to make progress on a separate, $110 billion supplemental, which includes aid for Ukraine and Israel.

President Biden met with lawmakers at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the foreign aid package, which would also include new reforms for the southern border.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he’s encouraged by progress in the border talks and support for foreign aid.

“I am more optimistic than ever before that we come to an agreement,” Schumer said after the meeting. “I put the chances at a little bit greater than half now, and that’s the first time I can say that.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he believes the aid package could be taken up as early as next week by the Senate. Many House Republicans remain opposed to more aid for Ukraine and are pressing Johnson to hold firm on policy changes for the border.

He reiterated after the White House meeting that his top priority is border reform.

“The House is ready to act but the legislation has to solve the problem,” Johnson said.

The Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to approve a continuing resolution, the first critical step to avoid a partial government shutdown ahead of a Friday night deadline.

The vote was 77-18.

The deadline for current spending expires at 11:59 p.m. on Friday.

With approval in the Senate, the continuing resolution will need to be voted on in the House.

The House plans to take it up the legislation on Thursday as well, ahead of another winter storm expected to bring more snow to the Washington area.

Conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus oppose the stopgap spending measure and plan to vote against it, arguing deeper cuts need to be made.

House Speaker Mike Johnson will need help from Democrats to get the bill to final passage, since it will require a two-thirds majority. In the last vote for a continuing resolution in November, 93 Republicans opposed it.

The previous spending measure was a so-called “laddered” continuing resolution, which extended funding to Jan. 19, as well as Feb. 2.

The current legislation is similar, with an initial deadline for four spending bills expiring March 1 and a second deadline for eight other spending bills on March 8.

Johnson initially indicated he wouldn’t support another short-term spending plan, given the opposition within his GOP conference.

But he agreed with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to an overall topline spending figure of close to $1.6 trillion and decided to stick with that agreement, despite sharp criticism from conservatives.

Congressional leaders hope to move on from the shutdown showdown to make progress on a separate, $110 billion supplemental, which includes aid for Ukraine and Israel.

President Biden met with lawmakers at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the foreign aid package, which would also include new reforms for the southern border.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he’s encouraged by progress in the border talks and support for foreign aid.

“I am more optimistic than ever before that we come to an agreement,” Schumer said after the meeting. “I put the chances at a little bit greater than half now, and that’s the first time I can say that.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he believes the aid package could be taken up as early as next week by the Senate.

Many House Republicans remain opposed to more aid for Ukraine and are pressing Johnson to hold firm on policy changes for the border.

He reiterated after the White House meeting that his top priority is border reform.

“The House is ready to act but the legislation has to solve the problem,” Johnson said.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia is hoping to advance bipartisan legislation in Congress this year that would make major changes in the college admissions process.

The Democratic lawmaker and U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., are co-sponsors of a bill that would prohibit accredited colleges and universities from giving preferential treatment in admissions to children of alumni or those with ties to donors.

Read the full story.

Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, the former House Majority Leader, has seen a lot of government shutdowns during his long congressional career.

“I think there’s more than a potential,” he said in a recent interview with WTOP. “I think it may be more likely than less likely that we would shut down the government.”

Hoyer believes House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans have set the table for a shutdown, in part because there will be so little time to resolve major spending issues when the House returns on Jan. 9.

Read the full story.

House members are now home for the holidays, but Senators are continuing to hammer away at an agreement on the Southern border, which would put an end to the impasse that’s holding up billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine and Israel.

A small group of lawmakers and staff members are working this weekend, trying to get to a deal on immigration issues that have vexed Congress for well over a decade.

Read the full story.

The House voted Friday to expel Republican Rep. George Santos of New York following the release of a blistering ethics report, making him just the sixth member in the chamber’s history to be kicked out by his colleagues.

The vote to oust him was 311-114, with two voting present. A two-thirds majority was required to expel him.

Two Democrats, along with 112 Republicans, voted against expulsion. One of them was Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott. The other was Rep. Nikema Williams of Georgia.

House Speaker Mike Johnson was among the Republicans who voted against expelling Santos.

Those who opposed expulsion pointed to the fact that he has not been convicted of any crimes. Santos has been indicted on 23 charges linked to campaign fraud. He has pleaded not guilty.

But many Republicans decided to vote to expel Santos, after the release of the House Ethics Committee’s report, which said Santos used campaign funds to pay for vacations, designer clothes and even Botox treatments.

Rep. Anthony D’Esposito was one of several New York Republicans who pressed for Santos to be removed from office.

“George Santos is a liar,” he said. “In fact, he’s admitted to many of them, who has used his position of public trust to benefit himself from day one.”

Despite encouragement from GOP leadership to resign, Santos refused, leading to the Friday’s vote.

Santos quickly left the Capitol and has said he will not return to Washington.

His ouster leaves Republicans with a slim 221-213 majority, meaning the defection of just four lawmakers on any GOP bill could prevent it from passing.

The governor of New York will need to set a date for a special election to replace Santos. Several people have already indicated interest in his seat.

Embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., said he would not step down ahead of a House vote on Friday that’s likely to lead him to become the first lawmaker to be kicked out of Congress in more than two decades.

Santos held a news conference Thursday outside of the Capitol, where he railed against a House ethics investigation that appears to have secured his fate. But aside from denying that he didn’t cooperate with the probe, he didn’t address the wide-ranging allegations against him.

The ethics probe, released before the Thanksgiving break, states that Santos used campaign funds to lavish himself on vacations, designer clothing and Botox.

Santos has complained that the investigation into his conduct has been a distraction from more important matters before Congress. Given that view, he was asked why he wouldn’t resign.

“Because if I leave, they win,” he said of his critics, who include fellow New York Republican lawmakers. “This is bullying.”

Santos has survived previous expulsion votes, but those came before the scathing ethics report that has changed the minds of many Republicans.

Still, the fact that Santos has not been convicted of a crime has given some lawmakers pause, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said this week he has “real reservations” about ousting him before he goes to trial.

Before the ethics report came out Santos was separately charged with 23 counts linked to campaign fraud, in a federal indictment. He has pleaded not guilty.

No Democrats are expected to vote against expelling Santos on Friday. A two-thirds majority of the House is required for his expulsion.

“The question that we should all be asking, is why is George Santos still around?” the House’s top Democrat Hakeem Jeffries said on Thursday.

Jeffries accused Republicans of trying to “coddle” Santos, even though he lied about virtually his entire background before getting elected to Congress.

Jeffries said the GOP was “playing footsie” with Santos because the House leadership needed his vote. If Santos is kicked out, Republicans will be down to a 221-213 majority, meaning just a handful of GOP defections on any bill could sink it.

House Republicans have had trouble getting even some of their own spending measures to the floor because of internal divisions.

After the release of the ethics report, Santos said he would not seek reelection, but he remained defiant on Thursday, arguing the House should not set a precedent with his expulsion.

He could become just the sixth lawmaker ever to be kicked out of Congress and the first who had not been convicted of a crime.

Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio, was the last lawmaker to be expelled, in 2002. He had been convicted on federal charges including bribery, obstruction of justice and racketeering

House Democrats joined Republicans to approve a short-term spending plan on Tuesday, the first step toward avoiding a government shutdown.

The vote was 336-95, with a large number of conservative GOP lawmakers opposing the “laddered” continuing resolution, which maintains current funding levels into next year.

The legislation includes two steps to keep federal funds flowing into the next year. It extends funding for several federal agencies through Jan. 19 and a second group would be funded through Feb. 2.

“It’s going to change the way we’ve done this,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said. “We have broken the fever. We are not going to have a massive omnibus spending bill right before Christmas. That is a gift for the American people.”

The Senate will need to approve the bill as well, ahead of a Friday midnight shutdown deadline.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has indicated that the Senate will approve it.

A vote to avert a shutdown at the end of September caused conservative House Republicans to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and GOP lawmakers couldn’t decide on a new leader for more than three weeks.

Tensions flared at various points across Capitol Hill on Tuesday over various issues.

Rep. Tim Burchett, of Tennessee, accused McCarthy of hitting him in the back as he went by him in the Capitol. Burchett was one of eight Republicans who voted to force McCarthy out of the speakership. McCarthy denied he tried to do anything to Burchett.

“If I were to hit somebody, they would know I hit them,” McCarthy told reporters.

Separately during a Senate hearing, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, got into it with Teamsters President Sean O’Brien.

Both men threatened to fight after Mullin read a comment the labor leader made about him on “X,” the social media platform. Mullin at one point got up from his seat, before Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders implored the two men to calm down.

The House hasn’t taken its normal legislative breaks over the past couple months, due in part to the impasse over the speakership, which led the lower chamber to shut down for almost all of October.

“I’ve been drinking from Niagara Falls for the last three weeks,” Johnson said, referring to his recent ascension to the speakership.

He expressed hope that the congressional passage of his short-term spending bill will allow lawmakers to go home to their districts over the Thanksgiving holiday and “cool off.”

“This place is a pressure cooker,” Johnson said.

BREAKING: House passes bill to avert government shutdown as GOP Speaker Johnson relies on Democratic support for temporary funding.

Read the full story. 

The House will vote Tuesday on a unique, short-term spending plan backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson that seeks to avoid a government shutdown this week.

The House will consider a “laddered” continuing resolution that includes two steps to keep federal funds flowing into the next year.

The continuing resolution extends funding for several federal agencies through Jan. 19 and a second group would be funded through Feb. 2.

“It’s going to change the way we’ve done this,” Johnson said. “We have broken the fever. We are not going to have a massive omnibus spending bill right before Christmas. That is a gift for the American people.”

But Johnson is going to need the help of Democrats to get the legislation passed — just as former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy did.

A vote to avert a shutdown at the end of September caused conservative Republicans to oust McCarthy and GOP lawmakers couldn’t decide on a new leader for more than three weeks.

Members of the House Freedom Caucus said Tuesday that they will vote against the new legislation, arguing it’s more of the same and doesn’t cut spending.

Under what’s known as suspension of the rules, the legislation will require a two-thirds majority of House lawmakers to pass.

Democratic leaders are not whipping against the bill and are expected to help provide the votes needed.

Congress needs to approve spending legislation to avoid a shutdown before a Friday midnight deadline.

House Speaker Mike Johnson hasn’t had much time to adjust to the demands of his new leadership post, amid war in the Middle East, a fast-approaching government shutdown deadline and unabating feuds within his Republican conference.

But he’s had a relatively solid start, notching a legislative victory this week with approval of nearly $14.5 billion in aid for Israel, even if the legislation will hit a wall in the Senate.

During his first news conference, he was asked what it’s been like to quickly ascend to one of the most politically challenging jobs in Washington.

Read the full story here. 

The House has approved $14.3 billion in aid for Israel that seeks to help the U.S. ally in the intensifying war with Hamas.

The vote on Thursday was 226-196, with a dozen Democrats joining Republicans in voting for the GOP-backed measure. The legislation is not expected to be taken up in the Senate, where it faces strong opposition from Democrats.

The vote followed a debate in which Republicans and Democrats strongly agreed on the need to provide assistance to Israel during the war with Hamas. But Democrats sharply criticized Republicans for offering up legislation that included $14.3 billion in cuts to the IRS.

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., argued House Speaker Mike Johnson had proposed partisan legislation at a time when Israel is in need of immediate help.

“He has constructed a political ‘gotcha bill,’” Hoyer said. “The majority tries to score political points at the expense of Jewish lives and the confidence of both our allies and enemies in our resolve and reliability.”

But Republicans said there was nothing politically cynical about the legislation, only a recognition that the U.S. needs to be more responsible in its spending.

“This supplemental aid to Israel is a necessary step,” said Rep. Max Miller, R-Oh. “Such aid will provide Israel with the critical resources it needs to defend itself and mount a response that will allow for the elimination of the threat of Hamas.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson is defending Republicans’ $14.3 billion stand-alone bill for aid to Israel and says he has no plans to alter the legislation’s corresponding cuts to the IRS.

“If Democrats in the Senate or the House or anywhere else want to argue that hiring more IRS agents is more important than standing with Israel in this moment, I’m ready to have that debate,” he said Thursday at his first news conference since becoming speaker.

The legislation calls for a cut of $14.3 billion in funding for the IRS.

But Democrats point out that a review by the Congressional Budget Office indicates that reducing funding for the IRS would add $12.5 billion to the federal deficit, due to a reduction in taxpayer revenue.

The House plans to vote on the Israel aid package on Thursday.

Senate Democrats and many Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, are also concerned about Johnson’s insistence that funding for Israel and Ukraine remain separate.

Johnson said Thursday that he wants to pair funding for Ukraine with border security.

While most Republicans want added resources to address issues at the southern border, McConnell has repeatedly said that the flow of military assistance to Ukraine must continue.

In the Senate, meanwhile, tension is rising over the hold on hundreds of military promotions by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.

Fellow Republican Senators were visibly angry with Tuberville on the floor Wednesday night, telling Tuberville he’s endangering national security.

Tuberville has maintained a hold on nearly 400 military promotions, as a protest against the Pentagon’s policy that pays for the travel of military personnel if they go to another state to get an abortion.

At one point during the heated debate, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said Tuberville’s actions amounted to a “national security suicide mission.”

Sullivan and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, both unsuccessfully called up more than 60 military nominees for unanimous consent votes.

But each time, Tuberville objected.

Republicans have begun to publicly press Tuberville, in part because of concerns related to a new proposal from Democrats.

The proposal, which would need to be approved with Republicans’ support, would allow military promotions to be approved together — “en bloc” on a single vote.

Newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson has gone from being a relatively unknown congressman from Shreveport, Louisiana, to the person who’s now second in line to the presidency.

Republicans shut down the House of Representatives for more than three weeks, amid infighting over who should become their new leader, choosing several more well-known GOP lawmakers as nominees — only to have them drop out or fail to get enough floor votes.

But just when it appeared they couldn’t agree on anyone, Rep. Mike Johnson quickly became their choice to get the gavel.

Read the full story.

Republicans have ended a self-inflicted political crisis that lasted more than three weeks, electing Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., as the new House Speaker.

“Today is the day we get this done,” Rep. Elise Stefanik said Wednesday as she nominated Johnson on the House floor.

Unlike the previous ballots, in which Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, failed three times to get the votes he needed, Johnson was elected on the first ballot.

The vote was 220-209.

Johnson, 51, is the vice chair of the Republican conference and is serving his fourth term in Congress.

In terms of congressional leadership, he is one of the least experienced lawmakers in decades to rise to House Speaker.

Johnson has pledged to bring Republicans together, after weeks of infighting that left many GOP lawmakers angry and embarrassed over how their party looked as the war between Israel and Hamas has raged.

Learn more about the new House Speaker.

House roll call totals 429 lawmakers. 220 Republicans and 209 Democrats. 215 votes will be needed for Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson to be elected House Speaker. (If no “present” votes)

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 25, 2023

After weeks of infighting, Republicans may be on the verge of ending an embarrassing and unprecedented struggle to elect a House Speaker.

Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana is the fourth nominee to be chosen by Republican lawmakers. But unlike the three others who failed to get the gavel before him, Johnson doesn’t appear to have a core of opponents ready to block him during a House floor vote.

The House is scheduled to convene at noon Wednesday to vote on the speakership.

Johnson, 51, is a conservative who helped support the legal effort for a challenge of state election results when former President Donald Trump claimed he won in 2020. He has served in the House since 2016 and is the vice chair of the Republican conference.

Johnson is known for focusing more on policy issues than other, more high-profile candidates who preceded him.

Appearing with fellow Republicans after he was nominated Tuesday night, he pledged to unify a GOP conference that’s been in disarray since the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy more than three weeks ago.

“Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system,” Johnson said.

When a reporter asked Johnson about whether he stands by his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, she was shouted down and booed by Republican lawmakers.

Republicans are exhausted after choosing three previous nominees for Speaker and failing to unify behind any of them. Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan and Majority Whip Tom Emmer were all unable to get the backing needed to be elected.

Republicans are hoping to finally end a self-inflicted political crisis, created when GOP hardliners filed a motion for McCarthy to vacate the chair on Oct. 3.

Louisiana Republican Rep. Mike Johnson has been nominated as House Speaker. Johnson, vice chair of the Republican Conference, had finished second to Majority Whip Tom Emmer in the first closed-door vote on Tuesday.

He won the next vote Tuesday night, after Emmer withdrew. Emmer was the nominee for four hours, before pulling out of the race after it became clear he couldn’t get the votes he needed on the House floor.

Republicans have been unable to elect a House Speaker for three weeks, which many of them have publicly acknowledged is an embarrassment.

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy lost the top GOP post after agreeing to a vote on a short-term spending bill that avoided a government shutdown. Eight Republicans voted to oust him and were joined by Democrats.

Lawmakers will need to pass spending legislation in the coming weeks, before the next shutdown deadline on Friday, Nov. 17.

A new candidate forum for House Speaker was being held Tuesday evening, after Majority Whip Tom Emmer dropped out of the race, only hours after he had been nominated.

The five candidates seeking the speakership are:

• Rep. Byron Donalds, R-FL
• Rep. Mike Johnson, R-LA
• Rep. Mark Green, R-TN
• Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-TN
• Rep. Roger Williams, R-TX

Johnson finished second to Emmer in Tuesday’s earlier voting.

Emmer decided not to continue to seek the gavel after it became clear he wouldn’t get the votes on the House floor.

It has now been three weeks since former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was forced out of the post, after a motion to vacate that was supported by eight Republicans as well as Democrats.

The latest Republican nominee for House Speaker, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, has withdrawn in the race for the speakership.

His decision to pull out of the race comes only hours after he was elected over other candidates.

It had become apparent Tuesday afternoon that Emmer was opposed by enough GOP lawmakers to thwart his approval on the House floor.

He becomes the third Republican nominee to withdraw. The first was Majority Leader Steve Scalise. The second was Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, who lost a closed-door confidence vote, after being defeated on three straight floor votes.

Emmer was criticized by former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, only days after the two spoke over the phone. Trump called him a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) on his Truth Social site.

NEW: House Majority Tom Emmer is the new Republican nominee for House Speaker. He defeated Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson in the final round. Emmer must now see if he can get the votes on the House floor to become Speaker.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 24, 2023

Two Republican candidates remain for the nomination of House Speaker — Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson.

Rep. Kevin Hern, of Oklahoma, was eliminated on the latest ballot. Rep. Byron Donalds, of Florida, voluntarily dropped out.

During a series of votes behind closed doors, members of the Republican conference have been steadily reducing the number of candidates for the speakership.

Once a nominee is chosen, he must still get enough votes on the House floor to be elected.

The number of Republican candidates for House Speaker has been cut to four. Rep. Austin Scott, of Georgia, was eliminated on the latest ballot.

Scott had previously run for Speaker against Rep. Jim Jordan, of Ohio.

The four candidates left are:

• House Majority Whip Tom Emmer
• Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla.
• Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.
• Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La.

As Republican lawmakers meet in a closed-door vote to pick their nominee for House Speaker, two representatives have already been eliminated.

The first lawmaker to be eliminated was Texas Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas. Of the candidates in the race, Sessions had the longest tenure in Congress.

Rep. Jack Bergman, of Michigan is the latest candidate for House Speaker to be eliminated.

There are now five remaining candidates, including:

• House Majority Whip Tom Emmer
• Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla.
• Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.
• Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La.
• Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga.

Republicans returned behind closed doors on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning to select from seven candidates who are seeking to become the next House Speaker.

WTOP learned Tuesday morning that Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama dropped his bid, after he was one of eight candidates who made their pitches to the GOP conference Monday night as Republicans try once again to choose their leader.

The election comes exactly three weeks since former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted, after eight conservatives voted for a motion to vacate the chair, along with Democrats.

McCarthy has endorsed House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who is considered the frontrunner for the speakership.

Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., chair of the Republican Study Committee, is also considered a top candidate.

The field was trimmed more, when Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., dropped out of the race Monday night.

Other candidates include: Reps. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.; Mike Johnson, R-La.; Austin Scott, R-Ga.; Pete Sessions, R-Texas, and Jack Bergman, R-Mich.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is no longer a candidate, after losing three straight House floor votes last week.

Republicans will try again to choose a new House Speaker, nearly three weeks since the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Nine GOP lawmakers are seeking the speakership and will each make their case to the Republican conference during a candidate forum Monday, which begins at 6:30 p.m.

Republicans plan to vote on a nominee on Tuesday morning.

The leading candidate is widely considered to be House Minority Whip Tom Emmer, who is well-respected and has the supporter of McCarthy.

But Emmer is reportedly not the favorite of former President Donald Trump, who had backed Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Jordan is no longer seeking the speakership, after losing three straight floor votes last week.

In addition to Emmer, these are the GOP candidates:

• Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Ohio, chair of the Republican Study Committee. Hern built a large group of McDonald’s franchises before getting elected to Congress. Along with a letter to lawmakers urging their support on Monday, he sent burgers from McDonald’s.
• Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. The youngest candidate at 44, he’s received some votes in previous Speaker ballots. Donalds is a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
• Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga. A surprise candidate who ran against Jordan for the GOP nomination last week.
• Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La. Johnson is a former chair of the Republican Study Committee.
• Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala. Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee and played football at Alabama, after making the team as a walk-on.
• Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas. Has served in the House for more than two decades. After losing his seat in 2018, he ran again in a different district and won in 2020.
• Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa. A former businessman and served as Pennsylvania’s secretary of revenue.
• Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich. Retired Marine Corps lieutenant general, who has presented himself someone who could help Republicans get back on course.

Republicans this weekend are no closer than they were at the start of the week to electing a House Speaker.

In fact, they are actually farther away — they don’t even have a nominee.

At least on Tuesday they were holding their first floor vote on Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).

Read more of this story.

Republicans decided Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan should no longer run for House Speaker Friday, after he lost his third-straight floor vote.

Lawmakers in the GOP conference voted by secret ballot behind closed doors. The vote was 112 to 86 for Jordan not to move forward as the nominee.

Jordan had indicated a willingness to keep fighting for the speakership with votes this weekend. But he had steadily lost more support with each succeeding vote this week.

Some lawmakers coming out of the meeting were frustrated and angry, while others said it’s time to find someone else who can become House Speaker.

New York Rep. Mike Lawler had been a vocal opponent of Jordan. And like many others, he said it’s time to start over.

“We obviously need to get 217 members to agree on who the next Speaker is going to be,” Republican Lawler said as he walked out of the closed-door meeting. “I would like this to be resolved, so we can get back to the work of the American people.”

Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Dan Meuser said he is considering running for the speakership. He had been a supporter of Jordan.

Several others are also now thinking about running, but it remains unclear whether the GOP can coalesce around anyone.

Lawmakers plan to return on Monday to regroup. By that time, it will have been nearly three weeks since former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by eight Republicans, with help from Democrats.

McCarthy nominated Jordan on Friday, but his support didn’t help the Ohio lawmaker get any additional votes.

Republicans dropped Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday as their nominee for House speaker, making the decision during a closed-door session after the hard-edged ally of Donald Trump failed badly on a third ballot for the gavel.

NEW: Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan is out as the GOP nominee for House Speaker. A majority of Republicans voted behind closed doors against Jordan moving forward. He had lost his third vote for the speakership earlier today. Republicans plan to regroup on Monday.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 20, 2023

Read the full story.

Third House Speaker vote for Jim Jordan falls short. Hakeem Jeffries: 210 votes; Jordan 194 votes. Twenty-five Republicans voted for other candidates than Jordan.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 20, 2023

Rep. Jim Jordan failed badly Friday on a third ballot for the House speaker’s gavel, rejected by even more Republicans from the conservative mainstream who warned the hard-edged ally of Donald Trump that no threats or promises could win their support.

Read the full story. 

Jim Jordan has now lost more Republican votes for House Speaker on each succeeding ballot. At least 24 votes against on this third vote. First vote was 20 against and second was 22.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 20, 2023

Read more by the Associated Press here.

At least 10 Republicans have again voted against Jim Jordan and it appears he will not be elected House Speaker for a third straight time.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 20, 2023

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is vowing to keep fighting to become House Speaker, though there is still no indication he’s close to getting the votes he needs.

“Our plan this weekend is to get a Speaker elected to the House of Representatives as soon as possible, so we can help the American people,” Jordan said at a news conference Friday.

A third vote on Jordan for the speakership is scheduled for 10 a.m.

Twenty Republicans voted against Jordan on the first vote and 22 voted against him on the second.

Jordan can’t lose more than four votes on a ballot to get elected.

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said President Joe Biden’s supplemental request to Congress, which includes aid for Israel, is another reason the House needs to get back to work.

“We can’t vote on that, can’t pass anything on that, until we get the House open,” Jordan said.

President Biden, who gave a national address Thursday night to discuss the need for assistance to Israel and Ukraine, is expected to request a package of more than $100 billion.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said despite the turmoil in the House, he believes Congress will eventually approve the assistance.

“The votes are there for Israel aid. The votes are there for more Ukraine aid. The votes are there for more border security,” he said. “The votes are there for all of it.”

But Kaine said it’s important that the Senate tackles the legislation ahead of the House, given the leadership vacuum in the House.

“I do think the right way for this to happen is for the Senate to act first, and show by a strong bipartisan vote, that we support this,” Kaine said.

Refusing to give up, Rep. Jim Jordan told GOP colleagues Thursday he was still running for the House gavel — leaving Republicans few viable options after his hardline backers resisted a plan to expand the temporary speaker’s powers to re-open the House.

The next vote on House Speaker will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, according to Congressman Jim Jordan’s office. It will be his third attempt to become House Speaker.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 19, 2023

Read the story from The Associated Press.

NEW: Jim Jordan now says he’s preparing for another vote for House Speaker. Follows meetings with Republicans, who sharply criticized proposal to make Speaker Pro Tem McHenry a caretaker Speaker. “We decided that wasn’t the way we’re going to go.” Plans to meet with opponents.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 19, 2023

More twists and turns are underway in the political drama over Republicans’ efforts to choose a new House Speaker.

Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, has reportedly decided not to seek a third vote to become Speaker, after losing to previous votes this week. Republicans met Wednesday to discuss their next steps.

A plan is still evolving, but it calls for House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry to be empowered as the acting Speaker, so that the House can begin taking up legislation again.

McHenry would temporarily oversee the House, possibly for a few months. That would allow lawmakers to again consider aid involving Israel and Ukraine, as well as spending issues that need to be resolved before a Nov. 17 government shutdown deadline.

Jordan would not withdraw from efforts to become Speaker. But this would provide Republicans more time to figure out who they want to be the party’s leader in the House.

Democrats would likely need to go along with the plan involving McHenry since some conservative Republicans oppose it.

The House has been paralyzed for 16 days, since the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Republicans are scrambling to determine their next step, after Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, lost a second vote to become House Speaker.

He told reporters that no more votes were planned for Wednesday evening, but indicated it’s still possible another vote could come on Thursday.

Frustration is growing among GOP lawmakers, who have been unable to choose a new leader for 15 days, since the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Longtime Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., who nominated Jordan on Wednesday, noted that he had predicted bad things would happen, when a small group of Republicans supported pushing McCarthy out.

“Those who did this, whether intentionally or unintentionally, were going to put the Congress in a state of chaos and the country into a state of uncertainty,” he said, referring to remarks he made earlier this month.

“I think the last two weeks have vindicated that observation,” he said.

Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., said Republicans’ closed-door meetings have become an unproductive “therapy session,” in which lawmakers vent but nothing gets accomplished.

He suggested that Republicans gather somewhere away from Capitol Hill and its distractions to focus on the important matter of choosing a new House Speaker.

Garcia noted that going to a historic site like Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, might provide a fresh start.

“Let’s dispense with all rules, dispense with all the protocols and all the B.S. that’s gotten us to this point,” he said. “Have big adult conversations in one room and figure out how we’re going to navigate this.”

NEW: Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan has lost his second straight vote, in his bid to become House Speaker. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries got 212 votes; Jordan got 199 votes and 22 Republicans voted for others, including McCarthy and Scalise.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 18, 2023

Read the story from The Associated Press.

Twenty-two Republicans have voted against Jim Jordan on the second ballot for House Speaker. That’s more than the 20 who voted against him when he lost on the first ballot. Unless any votes change, Jordan has again failed to be elected Speaker.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 18, 2023

House vote on Congressman Jim Jordan for House Speaker is underway. More than a half dozen GOP lawmakers have voted against Jordan so far. If no lawmakers vote “present” he can only afford to lose four Republican votes. Jordan appears to be losing a second vote.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 18, 2023

Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan will try again Wednesday to get elected House Speaker after his first attempt was thwarted by 20 fellow Republicans who voted against him.

The House vote is scheduled for 11 a.m.

Jordan had originally hoped to be elected as Speaker Tuesday night, but a second vote was postponed amid few signs he had picked up the necessary support.

The hard-charging chair of the House Judiciary Committee will need to greatly reduce the number of GOP lawmakers who opposed him on Tuesday if he’s to get elected.

Jordan can only afford to lose the support of four Republicans in order to get the 217 votes he needs.

The second vote for House Speaker has been delayed to Wednesday at 11 a.m. Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan started the day optimistic that he would be able get the votes to become House Speaker. New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, chair of House Republican Conference, described him as an “America first warrior who wins the toughest of fights” in her nomination. But Jordan fell short, with 20 from his own party voting against him in the first round of balloting.

Jordan has been meeting with Republican lawmakers Tuesday afternoon, including Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, who was first nominated to the speakership last week before withdrawing his name when it became clear he would come up short.

NEW: A second vote on House Speaker will not take place this evening. The vote on GOP nominee Jim Jordan will take place at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Jordan was defeated on the first vote earlier today, with 20 Republicans voting against him.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 17, 2023

Republicans who voted against Jim Jordan for House Speaker are pressing for a second vote ASAP. Jordan is said to be looking to a vote in the 6 p.m. hour. A GOP lawmaker, Gus Bilirakis, is returning to D.C. from a funeral. He’s expected to vote for Jordan. https://t.co/GchAND1YMf

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 17, 2023

Republicans have rejected congressman Jim Jordan for House speaker on the first ballot. More voting is expected as the staunch ally of Donald Trump works to shore up support and seize the speaker’s gavel. Not all Republicans are ready to elevate Judiciary Committee Chairman Jordan to the center seat of U.S. power, second in line to the presidency. About 20 Republicans voted against Jordan. Some are still upset over Kevin McCarthy’s sudden ouster as speaker two weeks ago. But with Trump’s backing, a win for the Ohio congressman would show just how far the GOP’s once far-right flank has moved into the party’s mainstream.

NEW: Jim Jordan loses on first ballot for House Speaker. Twenty Republicans did not vote for Jordan. Vote count was 212 for Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries; 200 for Jordan and 20 votes for other candidates. Without ‘present’ votes, 217 votes needed to win speakership.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 17, 2023

Read more from The Associated Press.

More than a dozen Republicans have not voted for Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan, so it appears he will lose his first vote for House Speaker.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 17, 2023

Six Republicans have now voted against Jim Jordan for House Speaker. Votes have gone to Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise and others, including a former NY congressman, Lee Zeldin.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 17, 2023

NY Rep. Elise Stefanik is nominating Rep. Jim Jordan for House Speaker, urging lawmakers to support him as the crisis unfolds in Israel and Gaza. There are 220 Republicans and 212 Democrats present. Jordan will need 217 votes to get elected.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 17, 2023

The House has been gaveled into session and voting will soon begin to determine whether Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan will be elected the new House Speaker.

The House began with a quorum call to determine the number of votes Jordan will need.

The House is about to vote on a new House Speaker and several Republicans said they will still not support Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan.

If five or more GOP lawmakers don’t vote for Jordan, he can’t be elected.

Florida Republican Rep. John Rutherford is among those who have said they won’t back Jordan. He remains upset over how Jordan handled the original vote, when Majority Leader Steve Scalise was elected the GOP nominee behind closed doors.

“I’m not voting for Jordan because he got beat by Steve Scalise in a free and fair election. And now Scalise is out and he’s our nominee? That’s not fair,” Rutherford said.

On the Democratic side, former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is wary of Jordan becoming Speaker.

“We need to come to grips with the fact that moving right for the Republicans has not worked,” the Maryland lawmaker said, noting that conservatives have often been unwilling to compromise.

Jordan has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and was a founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

The House plans to convene at noon Tuesday to vote on whether Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan will become the next Speaker of the House.

Jordan and his supporters have been trying to flip dozens of Republican lawmakers who indicated they wouldn’t support him during a closed-door vote last Friday.

Jordan has picked up several significant endorsements in the past 24 hours ahead of the vote, but he can only afford to lose four GOP votes if he’s to secure the speakership.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted two weeks ago, when eight Republicans joined Democrats in forcing him out of the post.

Try as they might, Republicans have been unable to meet the moment, repeatedly failing to elect a House Speaker. It is a crisis of their own making.

They did manage to choose a nominee for the speakership Friday — for the second time. Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan won a closed-door vote against an opponent who told reporters he had no plans to run for Speaker when he woke up Friday.

NEW: Republicans vote to make Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan the new GOP nominee for House Speaker. He defeated Georgia Congressman Austin Scott. But questions remain over whether he can get 217 votes needed on House floor to become speaker. pic.twitter.com/wCsRdt8pO2

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 13, 2023

Rep. Austin Scott, of Georgia, said he ran against Jordan, in part, because he was so disgusted with the disarray in the GOP. He told CNN the race for Speaker had made Republicans look like “a bunch of idiots.”

Scott only lost 124-81, even though his campaign for Speaker was all of one day.

It remains to be seen if Jordan can get the needed 217 votes to get the gavel. Republicans, after a very bad and embarrassing week, have left Washington for the weekend and will regroup Monday.

Jordan got a second chance because House Majority Leader Steve Scalise — the original nominee — pulled out of the race Thursday night, after it became clear he didn’t have the votes to get elected. Jordan may encounter the same challenge.

What some Republicans have themselves called a “clown show” began 10 days ago, when they kicked out former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — the first time that had happened in the history of Congress.

Since then, all legislative activity has been at a standstill. GOP energy has instead focused on debate and dysfunction within the Republican conference, unable to get everyone to agree on their own leader.

“The world’s on fire, our adversaries are watching what we do,” said Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “Every day that goes by, it gets more dangerous.”

McCaul has been one of the most vocal critics of fellow Republicans for failing to choose a House Speaker at a time when the war between Israel and Hamas is raging.

“I see a lot of threats out there. One of the biggest threats I see out there is in that room,” he said, pointing to a room in the Capitol basement where fellow Republicans were meeting at the time.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted from the post 10 days ago, says he’s supporting Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan to be the next speaker.

“I think Jim’s better prepared in the process to be speaker,” he said.

Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., is also seeking the speakership, though he’s indicated in comments to reporters that he’s running primarily to kick-start the process.

McCarthy lamented that the House has been at a standstill since he was kicked out of the top job in the lower chamber.

“This whole time we haven’t been able to follow through on our bills that we’re trying to get done. We haven’t been able to do investigations,” he said. “We’ve got 4% of the caucus that really wants to have chaos.”

Some GOP lawmakers have said they still support McCarthy for speaker, but he downplayed the possibility of him returning to his old job.

“Out of all of the folks that have thrown their hat into the ring, he is head and shoulders above the rest, in the majority that he’s able to put together,” said Rep. John Rutherford, R-Florida.

Rutherford is critical of fellow Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who triggered the motion to vacate, which led to McCarthy’s ouster.

The Georgia Republican was first elected to Congress in 2010 and is a conservative. He is not a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, which Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, helped to create.

Scott made it clear this week that he would not support Jordan, who’s again seeking the speakership.

Some view Scott’s candidacy as the potential for a protest vote against Jordan, which could include supporters of Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who dropped out of the race Thursday night.

Scott is a member of the House Intelligence Committee and the House Armed Services and has been active on military matters.

A new GOP candidate for Speaker of the House. Georgia Congressman Austin Scott is going up against Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan. https://t.co/CutdukneMV

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 13, 2023

Republicans have again gathered behind closed doors on Capitol Hill to try to agree on a House Speaker, after Majority Leader Steve Scalise dropped out Thursday night, when it became clear he didn’t have the votes.

But it’s not clear anyone else can get the necessary 217 votes either.

Lawmakers returned Friday to the Longworth Building, to see if they can make any progress, in the midst of what many within the GOP admit has been an embarrassment for the party.

“If you look at where our conference is, there’s still work to be done,” Scalise said after ending his effort to become the next House Speaker. “There are still some people that have their own agendas and…and we have to have everyone put their agendas on the side.”

But that hasn’t happened yet.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan is going to try to become Speaker again, after narrowly losing the nomination to Scalise earlier this week.

But Jordan only received 99 votes in that closed-door contest — nowhere close to the votes he’ll need on the House floor.

The House has now been paralyzed, taking up no legislation for 10 days, since the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Meanwhile, issues including the war involving Israel and Hamas, aid for Ukraine and next month’s pending government shutdown deadline can’t be addressed while the House is at a standstill.

The U.S. House of Representatives has been paralyzed for more than a week, since the historic ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

While Republicans narrowly voted to make Majority Leader Steve Scalise their nominee this week, he still doesn’t have enough support to get approved as House Speaker on a floor vote.

Scalise can’t afford to have more than four GOP lawmakers vote for someone else, or he can’t get the 217 votes needed to get the House gavel. But at least a dozen Republicans have said they won’t vote for him and plan to support House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, who was defeated in the closed-door vote for the nomination.

The situation has frustrated many Republicans, who note the world is seeing a dysfunctional Congress, at a time when Israel — a key U.S. ally in the Middle East — is dealing with its most serious crisis in a half-century.

The situation is so unsettled that some Republicans have been exploring whether Rep. Patrick McHenry, who’s the Speaker Pro Tempore, could somehow preside over legislative activity.

McHenry, who’s an ally of McCarthy, is effectively the “acting” Speaker.

But there’s disagreement over what — if any — actual power he has in that role.

For now, the House remains at a standstill and is unable to take up a bipartisan resolution in support of Israel because the lower chamber is not functioning as a legislative body

Republicans nominated Majority Leader Steve Scalise on Wednesday to become the next House Speaker, as GOP lawmakers seek to end a self-imposed paralysis of Congress amid the worst Middle East crisis in decades.

Scalise was narrowly elected 113-99 Wednesday during a closed-door vote, over House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, who had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

The full U.S. House of Representatives must still vote to approve Scalise as Speaker, before any legislative action can be taken.

Read more

NEW: GOP lawmakers say Republicans have nominated Majority Leader Steve Scalise as the House Speaker, over Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan. Vote: 113-99. Lawmakers must still vote on the nomination on the House floor.

— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) October 11, 2023