It’s Wednesday. House Republicans have officially gone two weeks without a Speaker, and the drama and tension is only continuing to build on Capitol Hill. Here’s what is coming up today:
The House is currently holding its second floor vote for Speaker. They postponed the vote from yesterday after Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) failed to garner enough votes, so it’s not looking good for his chances.
President Biden announced humanitarian aid for Gaza during his risky, high-stakes visit to Israel. The trip got even more tense after the deadly blast at a hospital in Gaza. X, formerly known as Twitter, is testing a $1 fee for users to interact with posts.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-stage.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. |
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I’m hearing a lot of speaking for a House without a Speaker: |
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House Judiciary Chairman
Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is poised to lose the second House floor vote for Speaker today. Twenty Republicans tanked his first bid to win the gavel Tuesday. The second vote had been scheduled for Tuesday evening, but was postponed until today, signaling Jordan may be losing more support.
Watch today’s House vote Live blog of updates — this is particularly useful today. Yesterday’s vote: Jordan secured 200 of the 217 votes necessary. Meanwhile, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) received support from his entire conference — 212 Democratic votes. Here are the 20 Republicans who voted against Jordan
What happens if Republicans can’t agree on a Speaker?: Many in the party are pushing to expand the limited powers of Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.). How this could play out, via The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch
What if Jordan *does* eventually cobble together 217 votes?: It could be a weird dynamic for the Republican Party. “GOP senators say that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) doesn’t have any real relationship with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and note that the two of them would be the ultimate Republican odd couple if Jordan is elected Speaker.” (The Hill)
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➤ SIGHTS AND SOUNDS FROM CAPITOL HILL: |
This, without a doubt, is THE best image of this saga: Getty’s Win McNamee took an incredible photo from yesterday’s Speaker vote. In the front is Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — and in the row behind, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is laughing.
What a response: After Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) cast his ballot for Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), CNN’s Dana Bash asked Buck if he wants Emmer to be Speaker. “No I don’t. I don’t like Tom Emmer,” Buck said. “I figured this would be the worst job in America.” Watch the clip
^ Side note: That is a *neon* green tie.
This photo makes my neck hurt: CNN’s Haley Talbot posted a photo of the reporters camped outside of Rep. Tom Emmer’s (R-Minn.) office. HAHA: Politico’s Sarah Ferris posted Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s (D-Mo.) response when she asked him to sum up the mood in the House. “The Republicans are refusing to cross the Jordan,” he said.
That was a nice, bipartisan moment: Lawmakers gave Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) a standing ovation when she cast her ballot. Peltola’s husband died in a plane crash last month.
A GOP holdout’s wife has been getting messages: Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said his wife received anonymous text messages threatening his political career if he opposes Jordan. Read a few of the texts, via Politico’s Olivia Beavers I will always post Capitol Hill pups: Photos of dogs in the Senate I also will always trust a Magic 8 Ball: Rep.
Mike Collins (R-Ga.) posted on X: “On my way to vote for Speaker and get back to passing appropriations bills today!” with a video of a Magic 8 Ball. “Don’t count on it,” the ball predicts. Lol. (h/t The Hill’s
Kristina Karisch) |
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Moderate House Republicans have earned the nickname “squishes” for their willingness to be flexible.
Politico’s Rachael Bade writes: “As one GOP aide put it to NBC, ‘Either he gets it or the moderates for the first time ever grow a spine.’ Turns out the moderates are vertebrates, after all.” How centrist Republicans have taken control |
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OK, what happened with the Gaza hospital explosion?: |
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“A massive blast rocked a Gaza City hospital packed with wounded and other Palestinians seeking shelter Tuesday, killing hundreds of people, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said. Hamas blamed an Israeli airstrike, while the Israeli military blamed a rocket misfired by other Palestinian militants.” (AP) What we know about the hospital attack: “Bloody Blankets and ‘Lots of Bodies’ at a Devastated Gaza Hospital.” (The New York Times)
Timing: President Biden’s Israel visit has been overshadowed by this gruesome attack. Biden had been scheduled to visit Jordan as part of his Middle East trip, but the White House said it was canceled after consulting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II following the hospital blast.
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➤ THE U.S.’S CURRENT ASSESSMENT OF THE EXPLOSION:
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“While we continue to collect information, our current assessment, based on analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information, is that Israel is not responsible for the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday,” Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said in a statement. (
The Hill) |
Biden still carried on with his visit to Israel: |
Despite the security risks and the simmering tensions in the Middle East, President Biden visited Israel to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a high-stakes, wartime trip.
Biden’s three goals for the visit: - To reaffirm U.S. support of Israel
- To stress the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region
- As a show of force to avoid escalation from other players in the region
News from the trip: “President Biden announced an agreement Wednesday to allow humanitarian aid to move from Egypt to Gaza and confirmed $100 million in U.S. funding for assistance to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.” Details from The Hill’s Brett Samuels
What did Biden say about the hospital hit?: Biden told Netanyahu that the explosion “appears” to be the responsibility of “the other team,” citing data from the Department of Defense. But he said in a statement that the White House national security team will continue to investigate. (The Hill)
Biden hugged Netanyahu when he landed in Israel: Video from C-SPAN’s Howard Mortman
Visiting Israel comes with very real security risks: Biden is visiting an active war zone where attacks are possible. The Washington Post’s Yasmeen Abutaleb spoke with experts on the risks, and the security measures put into place. (The Washington Post) Watch Biden’s remarks in Tel Aviv Live updates from Biden’s trip |
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➤ HEADLINES ON THE ISRAEL-GAZA CONFLICT: |
‘Fury over Gaza hospital blast surges across Middle East’ (The Washington Post)
‘Why the risk of wider war in Middle East is ‘very, very high’’ (The Hill)
‘Israel says it wants to destroy Hamas. But who would govern Gaza after that?’ (NBC News)
‘Four Misconceptions About the War in Gaza’: “Disregard pundits searching for a deeper geopolitical meaning to this war,” writes Andrew Exum. (The Atlantic)
‘State Department advises US citizens not to travel to Lebanon’ (The Hill)
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Please, can you spare a dollar?:
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X, under owner Elon Musk’s leadership, is testing a $1 per year fee for users to like, repost, reply, bookmark and quote posts on the platform. (TechCrunch) Where X is testing the feature: In the Philippines and New Zealand
Read X’s post on the fee |
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🍫 Celebrate: Today is National Chocolate Cupcake Day!
🐻 Admire: Grazer the bear won Katmai National Park & Preserve’s Fat Bear Week of 2023. (CNN) Photo of Grazer 🕶️ If you missed the solar eclipse Saturday: There’s an even cooler solar eclipse happening in April. (The Washington Post)
🥪 TBH, I love a Lunchable: @DCCelebrity posted a photo of former Attorney General Bill Barr eating a Lunchable at Washington Dulles International Airport. |
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The House and Senate are in. President Biden is in Israel but has not released a schedule of his trip. Vice President Harris is in Washington, D.C. (all times Eastern) |
Earlier today: Biden delivered remarks in Tel Aviv, Israel.📺 Watch the replay
Today: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is holding a hearing on Jack Lew, who served as Treasury secretary under former President Obama, to be U.S. ambassador to Israel. 📺 C-SPAN livestream
5 p.m.: Harris delivers remarks at a White House reception for Hispanic Heritage Month. 📺 Livestream
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