Republicans vie for chance to lead House |
HOUSE REPUBLICANS are grappling with how to fill the leadership void atop their conference following Kevin McCarthy‘s ouster as Speaker, with several members already launching bids to succeed the California Republican in the top role.
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who’s playing a prominent role in the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, was first to announce his candidacy. Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) followed shortly after. - Both are emphasizing the need to unify the GOP conference.
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Scalise has held leadership positions since 2014, including GOP whip and, most recently, majority leader.
- Jordan, a founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and its first chairman, was one of the first McCarthy alternatives nominated during the 15-round Speaker vote in January.
Other candidates possible: Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), chair of the Republican Study Committee, said he’s considering a Speaker bid. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer‘s (R-Minn.) name has also been floated, but he confirmed today he’s running for majority leader and endorsed Scalise. See more names here.
What’s next: Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) recessed the House until next Tuesday. The House can’t vote on bills until it has a Speaker.
Keep up with developments at The Hill’s live blog. |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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© AP Photo/Mike Mulholland, File |
Rule 26 and the Speakership
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A small number of House Republicans said they’d back former President Trump for the now-vacant Speaker post, since the chamber’s leader doesn’t have to be a House member.
But some quickly pointed to Rule 26 of the House Republican Conference Rules, which states that a “member of the Republican Leadership shall step aside if indicted for a felony for which a sentence of two or more years imprisonment may be imposed.” Trump has been indicted on several such charges.
While the GOP conference could make the unusual move of changing its rules mid-session with a majority vote, Trump seemed to brush the idea aside, saying, “I’ll do whatever it is to help, but my focus, my total focus is being president.” |
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Congress is debating whether to provide additional Ukraine funding. We asked foreign policy experts: |
What effect would a delay in more U.S. aid to Ukraine have? |
📣 “Not much in material terms in the short run. But a political window/hope for Putin if it continues, and eventually (by 2024) a major battlefield consideration as well[.]” – Michael O’Hanlon, director of research in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution
📣 “…Ukraine is in the middle of its major counteroffensive and Russia is preparing to use airstrikes to make the upcoming winter unbearable for Ukrainian civilians. Stopping, or even delaying, aid would place Ukrainians in an unnecessarily perilous situation while also undermining US national interest by emboldening Russia. ….” Luke Coffey, senior fellow at Hudson Institute
📣 “The delay in aid will have little impact on the battlefield. Between current supplies and provisions that will flow based on prior spending, Ukraine will be able to continue operations. But the delay is still a blow to US security and Ukraine’s defense because Putin is counting on the West to grow weary of supporting Ukraine; and he will interpret this as proof that this aid will diminish and perhaps cease.” – Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center
📣 “An abrupt cessation of support to Ukraine, coupled with the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan two years ago, would make it hard for any ally or partner to fully trust the United States in the future.” – Mark Cancian, senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies
📣 “This will become a very serious situation quickly, unless a supplemental bill is passed promptly. By now, the previously authorized spending has been almost completely exhausted. In Ukraine, that will soon mean smaller supplies of ammunition available for the counteroffensive (or indeed defense) and weaker air defenses as Ukrainian cities continue to face indiscriminate Russian attacks. …” – Dalibor Rohac, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
More: Defense Department Comptroller Michael McCord recently said in a letter to congressional leaders that the U.S. has “been forced to slow down the replenishment of our own forces to hedge against an uncertain funding future. … Failure to replenish our military services on a timely basis could harm our military’s readiness.” (The Hill)
Just in: US transfers ammunition seized from Iran to Ukraine |
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NY trial enters third day, Trump appeals ruling
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Former President Trump‘s ex-accountant Donald Bender‘s testimony continued into the third day of the New York civil fraud trial, with the trial judge rebuking the defense for dragging out Bender’s cross examination.
Also on Wednesday, Trump appealed the judge’s ruling from last week finding Trump liable for fraud and stripping him of business certificates in the state. The ongoing trial concerns six other alleged causes of action in New York Attorney General Letitia James‘s (D) lawsuit. |
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Jones under fire over post criticizing meeting with Jewish leaders
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Former Rep.
Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), who’s running for House again, faced backlash over a tweet stating that Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep.
Mike Lawler‘s (R-N.Y.) meeting with Jewish leaders “was a waste of time.”
He has since deleted the post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and addressed the comments in another post, saying the tweet was “too open for misinterpretation” and he “regrettably” did not make the post’s meaning clear. |
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Abortion rights group supporting Gallego against Sinema
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The group Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America, is endorsing Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) for Senate after having endorsed sitting Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in 2018. Sinema, who changed her affiliation from Democratic to independent last year, hasn’t confirmed whether she’s seeking reelection.
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Lahaina residents ask governor to delay tourist reopening
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More than 3,000 West Maui residents signed a petition asking Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) to delay reopening the area to tourism in the aftermath of the August fires. The reopening is slated for this weekend. |
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Uber’s new package return feature
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Uber is now offering a “Return a Package” feature, where drivers deliver packages to local shipping stores. The feature is available in nearly 5,000 U.S. cities. |
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“Reality bites: What we’re getting wrong about opinion polls” — Charles Babington, a writer who covered politics, Congress and the White House for The Washington Post and The Associated Press. (Read here) “Who will be the next House Speaker? A political scientist weighs in.” — Michael E. Bednarczuk, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Austin Peay State University. (Read here) |
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11 days until the Federal Election Commission‘s third quarter report deadline. 44 days until the next government funding deadline. |
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Former Sen. Dianne Feinstein‘s (D-Calif.) funeral will be held in San Francisco. Vice President Harris will attend. |
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And finally…know of someone looking for a job in D.C. with a listed salary of $223,500? Here’s an ad from job search site Daybook. Job title: Speaker of the House.
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