Last week the Republican Congressional chaos and gridlock that narrowly avoided a federal government shutdown two weeks ago, shut down legislative operations of the U.S. House until they replace Kevin McCarthy, the first House Speaker in American history to be voted out as House Speaker. Since the same House Republicans responsible for McCarthy’s ouster are vigorous opponents of the Ukraine War, everyone who fears what this means for the war’s financial and military support overlooks the golden opportunity, the House Republican’s chaos and gridlock presents a way to guarantee the Ukraine War’s financial and military support.
When just 8 Republican Congresspersons, in defiance of their 210 fellow Republican House members, were able to successfully take the first-ever step of firing a U.S. House Speaker, it sent shock waves to everyone who realizes what’s truly at stake in Ukraine’s war with Russia. One of the reasons that the 45-day continuing budget resolution, which avoided the government shutdown two weeks ago, passed in the Republican-controlled House was because funding for the Ukraine War was deleted from it. The 8 far-right-wing conservatives who fired McCarthy are definitely opposed to further funding for Ukraine’s war, but there are growing questions about support for the war among more moderate right-wing Republican conservatives in the House.
Of the two formally announced candidates running to replace McCarthy as Speaker, Steve Scalise, and Jim Jordan, Jordan is on record opposing further funding for Ukraine saying last week “The most pressing issue on Americans’ minds is not Ukraine, it is the border situation and crime on the streets and everybody knows that”. Two weeks ago Jordan and more than half of the Republican conference, 117 of 221, voted against a measure that would have avoided a government shutdown precisely because it included funding for Ukraine, Scalise voted for it.
Speaker candidate and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (left) supports Ukraine War funding Speaker candidate and House. Rep. Jim Jordan (right) does not (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Even if pro-Ukraine Scalise becomes Speaker, he will face the same strict opposition to further funding of the war from the same far-right-wing Republicans, or questions about Ukraine’s efficiency in fighting the war from the same more moderate Republicans, which forced former Speaker McCarthy to delete funding for the war from the 45-day continuing budget resolution that prevented the government shutdown two weeks ago. Given these facts the shock waves among those who support the Ukraine War are appropriate, but amidst the Republican chaos and gridlock in the House lies a golden opportunity to secure support for the Ukraine War from now until 2025!!!
The perception that since there is no longer an elected Republican House leader to serve as Speaker of the House, no legislation can be voted on by the House is not reality. According to Rule I, Section 8 of Rules of the House of Representatives 118th Congress, every person elected Speaker is required to deliver to the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, a secret name of a current House member to temporarily serve as Speaker Pro Tempore in case the Office of Speaker becomes vacant for any reason. The rule also states that the Speaker Pro Tempore may exercise all the authority of the Office of Speaker until a new Speaker is elected.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leaves the Old Senate Chamber in Washington on Sept. 21, 2023, Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images
After McCarthy was elected Speaker the secret name he submitted was Patrick McHenry a fellow Republican who chairs the House Committee on Financial Services. The current chaos in the House gives Republicans and Democrats the opportunity to join together in a bi-partisan vote, similar to the proposed bi-partisan vote many were hoping would save McCarthy’s Speakership. But because McCarthy had consistently broken every promise he made, Democrats didn’t feel they could trust him so they refused to vote with Republicans and supply McCarthy with the just 8 votes he needed to remain Speaker.
Since House rules allow Speaker Pro Tempore McHenry to conduct the business of the Speaker, and since 3 weeks ago 104 Republicans voted for a failed measure to prevent the federal government shutdown which contained Ukraine War funds, those same 104 Republicans can join at least 114 Democrats, in a bi-partisan vote for the necessary 218 votes needed to extend Ukraine War funding from now until 2025. The 104 Republicans and at least 114 Democrats will have the rare privilege of agreeing to do something where neither side has to make a compromise. Because both sides believe in the importance of supporting Ukraine.
Speaker Pro Tem McHenry should allow Republicans to join Democrats in a floor vote on Ukraine War funding
McHenry, a Ukraine supporter, says he has no desire to run to replace McCarthy as Speaker, so he has nothing to lose politically among his fellow Republicans by allowing a House floor vote on Ukraine War funding. A Ukraine vote before a new Speaker is elected would mean one less politically volatile issue for the new Speaker of the House, and a Ukraine vote that extends war funding through 2025, removes Ukraine as a political bargaining chip in future House disagreements between Republicans and Democrats. Amidst the current House Republican chaos and gridlock, hopefully, cooler Republican and Democrat heads will prevail and avoid missing Ukraine’s golden opportunity.