Divided House Republicans Convene to Vent, Discuss Path Forward

House Republicans met Monday night for a family meeting-style vent session a week after Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) ouster from the speakership hurled the conference into chaos.

The fractured conference must deal not only with the choice between two declared candidates for Speaker but internal rules governing the conference and the election itself, all while escalating international and domestic policy crises and McCarthy’s potential candidacy loom over deliberations.

Some McCarthy allies continue to seek retribution for the eight Republicans who sided with Democrats to end McCarthy’s tenure, and a handful insisted they will vote for McCarthy on ballot after ballot.

To put it mildly, House Republicans have some issues to work out.

Despite the drama and animosity, “tempers really didn’t flare” inside the meeting according to Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX). This could be credited to interim House Speaker Rep. Patrick McHenry’s (R-NC) decision to recess for a week.

But the tensions are plainly there.

Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA), the Majority Leader and second ranking House Republican, and Jim Jordan (R-OH), Chairman of the Judiciary and Weaponization Committees, are the declared candidates to succeed McCarthy. The two took a break from working their colleagues and quietly listened Monday night as fellow Republican lawmakers aired their grievances.

There are signs, perhaps faint, the conference is looking to move beyond its differences where possible.

Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), who flirted with a bid for Speaker, acknowledged some internal discussions about punishing the eight who voted to oust McCarthy but insisted the conference overwhelmingly wants to look ahead, saying “the American people…are not as consumed by us being punitive to the eight as they are for us to move forward.”

McCarthy did not attend the conference meeting, but his presence was in the room. The former Speaker held a press conference Monday offering his vision for handling the looming war in Israel that seemed a clear message that he was ready to reclaim his perch as leader of his conference.

Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), a McCarthy ally, said it is “perfectly appropriate” for McCarthy to consider a return to the speakership. But McCarthy’s continued interest in reclaiming his gavel could complicate efforts to secure a nominee.

In addition to selecting a leader, Republicans grapple with several potential rule changes that could have implications for the race.

A near-majority has advocated the adoption of a rule that the Republican nominee must secure the necessary 217 votes to win on the House floor before emerging from conference. The parliamentary necessities of making the change are not yet clear, and it is possible proponents could need greater than a simple majority to make the change.

The motion to vacate, the mechanism Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) initiated to eject McCarthy, may be altered as well. Currently, conference rules permit a single Republican to offer the measure on the floor.

The current rule was seen as a major concession by McCarthy to conservatives as he initially courted their support nine months ago.

Republicans seemed to disagree on if the Hamas terrorist attacks should influence their timeline for moving the Speaker vote to the House floor. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has led the charge to move expediently, insisting the vacancy sends the message to America’s adversaries that we are “dysfunctional.”

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), one of the eight who voted to oust McCarthy, pushed back on the prospect that international developments add a sense of urgency to elect a Speaker, asking, “Honestly, what is Congress gonna do, write a stern letter to a bunch of terrorists?”

“The President’s doing what he’s supposed to do. He’s sent our largest carrier we have over there. We’ve got a presence over there. Israel’s basically said, ‘let us handle it.’” Burchett said.

WATCH — WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: How Hamas Took Israel by Surprise:

Rep. Max Miller (R-OH), who noted that he is one of only two Jewish House Republicans, even proposed the conference take an additional week to digest the candidates and proposed rules changes.

White House spokesman John Kirby seemed to echo that sentiment while acknowledging the possibility of a future request for Congressional action, telling reporters, “We have existing authorities and existing appropriations to continue to support Israel.”

“If we need — and it’s an if — if we need to go back to Capitol Hill for additional funding support for Israel, we will absolutely do that,” Kirby noted.

And of course, there is the race for Speaker itself. Each candidate will continue meeting with individual members and voting blocs until the candidate forum Tuesday night.

WATCH — Jim Jordan Defends Kevin McCarthy’s Record:

C-SPAN

The forum will be the first time candidates will have the chance to address their colleagues en masse.

The race has been relatively collegial so far, given the stakes and broader divisions within the conference. But that could change as the conference moves closer to voting.

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), a Jordan backer, expressed concerns with Scalise’s health, saying he doesn’t want “somebody who is going to deteriorate.”

Nonetheless, Norman said he is “very confident” the House can elect a Speaker this week and work through its problems.

“I don’t care whether it’s a family, a business, you take the problems one at a time,” Norman concluded.

Follow Bradley Jaye on Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.