Some Republicans are considering a move to reinstate Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as House Speaker in the wake of the deadly attacks in Israel.
On Saturday morning, Palestine militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on the organization and order retaliatory action.
“Israel attacks have moderates holding out for the one person who can truly unite us: Kevin McCarthy,” a House GOP lawmaker said.
Last week, McCarthy was ousted by the votes of eight Republicans and all House Democrats thanks to a rule change McCarthy agreed to when he was elected speaker.
Shortly after the vote, the California Republican signaled he would not consider running for Speaker again. (RELATED: Report: McCarthy Will Not Re-run For Speaker)
However, the recent events in Israel seem to have spurred a change of mind regarding a vote to return as Speaker. McCarthy left open the possibility, telling Fox & Friends, “That's a decision by the conference. I'll allow the conference to make whatever decision; whether I'm a speaker or not, I'm a member of this body. I know what history has had, and I can lead in any position it is. And right now, I realize we need these five actions taken now and stop delaying.”
However, handing McCarthy back the Speaker's gavel could be tricky due to the support Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) have already garnered. Last week, former President Donald Trump threw his support behind Jordan for Speaker.
McCarthy, for his part, is “aware and grateful” for the efforts to reinstate him, but he's not engaging at this point, the House GOP lawmaker said.
However, some Republicans are optimistic that it could be done, given the severity of the attack in Israel. They believe the urgency surrounding the attacks could pressure the eight House Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy to switch their stance. Many Republicans are still upset with those who voted against McCarthy, who is a vocal supporter of Israel, and are “using this moment to show how wrong they were,” per the House GOP lawmaker.
“A short window is all we need in the House to reinstate Kevin McCarthy and change the rule,” Rep. John Duarte (R-CA) said.
House Republicans plan on meeting behind closed doors on Monday. On Tuesday, there will be a candidate forum to hear the pros and cons of each speaker candidate.
The conference plans to hold a secret vote on Wednesday to see who it wants to nominate for speaker on the floor. The nomination will go to whichever candidate secures a majority of the GOP conference. That figure could be as low as 113, including the three nonvoting GOP delegates to the House. If all 435 House members participate, a successful candidate will need 217 votes to become speaker.
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Sure, and while they’re at it, maybe they can get Obama to step in and temporarily replace Biden while the Hamas/Israel debacle is going on.
All sarcasm aside, just say “NO” to RINOs.
Nobody out here in the real world is clamoring for McCarthy’s return! In the Beltway, or RINOville, he’s far more popular, I’m sure. He didn’t disappoint Ukraine. He DID let down Maui and Americans at home in need!
Look. Trump showed us it’s possible for a politician to KEEP promises. He raised the bar. Kevin made all sorts of promises to Conservatives to get elected. He failed to keep his word! We EXPECT those in charge to be true to their word. We KNOW Dems lie, and we have to weed out the lesser Republicans among us. We can’t accept less!
Now is no time to have RINOS in charge of the purse!
Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House!
McCarthy held the job long enough to prove he cannot united the Republicans … sorry but he is not a true LEADER. Personally I would rather see Jim Jordan named Speaker.
Absolutely NO. We want a speaker who the backbone to stand up for we the people. McCarthy has sold us out twice. That’s more than enough to say not only NO but HRLL NO. Enough is enough time for Jordon to become speaker. Actually I think Trump should be one speaker especially after this tragedy in Israel. Time to wipe the Hamas off the face of the earth.