Update: Fox News' Chad Pergram posted on Sunday morning that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has been briefed "on the Mideast crisis" and is working to get a briefing for all members. There was no mention as to if Acting Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) received such an update.
Fox confirms that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was briefed on the Mideast crisis and is working to get a briefing for all House members in the absence of a Speaker
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 8, 2023
It's been less than a week since Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted as Speaker of the House. The House removed a speaker for the first time in its history. It looks to come at a particularly difficult time, not only since a government shutdown could still happen weeks from now despite being averted before the September 30 deadline, but because there's an international crisis going on after Hamas attacked Israel.
Fox News' Chad Pergram, who has been posting helpful threads about the speaker situation, laid out an interesting series of points on Saturday on what it means to have no speaker at this time. Currently, Patrick McHenry (R-NC) is the acting speaker pro tempore, though as of late Saturday night it's still not clear as to if he'll be part of the Gang of 8 hearings. It's worth emphasizing that as a CNN report from Saturday noted, he "has the needed clearance."
In addition to the Speaker of the House, those who are part of the Gang of 8 include the chairman and ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Reps. Mike Turner (R-OH) and Jim Himes (D-CT); the chair and vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Marco Rubio; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
Pergram's thread is notably titled "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to How the Middle East Crisis Could Expedite the Selection of a House Speaker." House Republicans will be meeting early this week, with a vote having been set last week for Wednesday. That might be sped up, though.
The thread is 20 posts long, but here's how it applies to questions about McHenry's participation.
2) It has been made clear to Fox that events in the Middle East is not an attack on the U.S., but “on an ally.” However, one source noted that these circumstances can devolve quickly.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 7, 2023
4) “The Middle East might speed up the election of a Speaker,” said one House Republican who asked to remain nameless. “This points to why it was a bad idea to kick out (former House Speaker) Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).”
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 7, 2023
8) The source noted it would certainly happen if there was a direct threat to the United States or the U.S. needed to be involved militarily.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 7, 2023
“Say if this went to DEFCON 2,” said a source.
“DEFCON 1” is the highest “defense condition” security posture the U.S. has.
11) The House did not ancitipate installing a Speaker Pro Tempore over a political dispute which resulted in the removal of the sitting Speaker.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 7, 2023
14) The House operates off a series of precedents, ordered by Deschler’s, Cannon’s and Hinds’ Precedents. These books dictate how the House has operated in the past.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 7, 2023
As several of Pergram's other posts in the thread note, we are in uncharted territory here, and McHenry could very well be setting a precedent for how much power any future speaker pro tempore may try to exert.
When it comes to the powers, or lack thereof, he currently does have, the CNN report noted that "McHenry cannot bring bills or even nonbinding resolutions to the floor" and "is mostly responsible for overseeing the election of a new speaker, which means recessing, adjourning or recognizing nominations on the floor."
20) Fox is told that’s why McHenry appears to be mindful and judicious in the use of any perceived powers he may have now.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 7, 2023
“There are guardrails,” said one source. “But because this is unprecedented, they don’t have to be followed.”
The timing of the House being without a speaker has led to passionate criticism towards McCarthy's ouster, which took place on Tuesday, after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed a motion to vacate on Monday night.
Perhaps the strongest criticism of that timing came from Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY). The congressman took to his campaign X account on Saturday to make several posts, including one containing a profanity. One even called for reinstating McCarthy. Lawler will appear on CNN's "State of the Union" later on Sunday, where the topic will no doubt come up.
Bang up job by everyone who voted to remove @SpeakerMcCarthy with no plan in place. https://t.co/wRNFYjltMu
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) October 7, 2023
Israel has had no greater friend over the years and I was honored to join @SpeakerMcCarthy in Israel earlier this year when he delivered remarks before the Knesset celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Israel. He is only the second Speaker in history to do so.
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) October 7, 2023
This is why you don’t remove a Speaker mid-term without cause. What an unmitigated shit show. https://t.co/DzNFoHH4Ll
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) October 7, 2023
The terrorist attack in Israel is a reminder that events can unfold quickly — which is why the removal of the Speaker mid-term was disastrous. Personal grievances and petty politics are destructive to our nation and the stability of our government. We need to elect a Speaker.
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) October 7, 2023
Gaetz has posted clear support for Israel from both his official and campaign accounts, though he hasn't posted as much as other members, such as Lawler for instance. It's particularly telling that his campaign account reposted Michael Thorning dimissing the concerns about not having a speaker at this time.
All of this fear speculation about a “paralyzed” Congress not being able to respond to the Israel situation. What do people think Congress is needed to do immediately in this situation? Pass a sense of the Congress resolution condemning Hamas?
— Michael Thorning (@ThorningMichael) October 7, 2023
The seven other House Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting to oust McCarthy also took some heat. This includes Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), as many reposted her own posts showing concern for Israel by pointing out the urgency of lacking a speaker.
If only we still had a GOP speaker of the house to mount a response https://t.co/XQ7W4k0s4c
— John Hasson (@SonofHas) October 7, 2023
You’re one of eight reasons the House is unable to vote on additional aid to Israel right now.
— Patrick Ruffini (@PatrickRuffini) October 8, 2023
Maybe sit this one out. https://t.co/cBa8ZLY3Rc
As Pergram also later posted, McCarthy himself pointed to the concerns of ousting the speaker, emphasizing points he's made before, not only when it comes to how just 4 percent of House Republicans voted to remove him from the position, but also ethics concerns to do with Gaetz.
2) McCarthy: But think about this..why would you ever remove a Speaker during a term to raise a doubt around the world? The other thing that happens here, too, is it's driven by only 4% within the Republican Party, driven by one person that's afraid of an ethics complaint. I
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 7, 2023
4) McCarthy: And for those Democrats all to join those eight individuals after I just moved to keep government open. Could you imagine, had I not done that, that our military not being paid right now, that our border would be wide open?
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 7, 2023
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