Republican chaos hampers US effort to send more aid to Israel and Ukraine

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Republicans’ failure to elect a new House speaker could complicate White House efforts to deliver billions of dollars in additional military aid to Israel and Ukraine as lawmakers brace for a third week of chaos on Capitol Hill.

Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said over the weekend that the US president has “made clear” he will ask lawmakers to approve a new funding package for Ukraine and Israel.

Sullivan told CBS sunday news “Expect to be in close contact with Congress this week as we develop such a package and seek to gain bipartisan support.” He said the value of the proposed package would be “significantly higher” than $2 billion.

But Republicans and Democrats alike acknowledge that chronic dysfunction and sharp divisions on Capitol Hill have hampered the plan, as the lower chamber has been without a speaker for nearly two weeks.

Meanwhile, many House Republicans have resisted calls for further aid to Kyiv, raising the question of whether they would agree to send more money to Ukraine when it is tied to additional funding from Israel.

The White House has reportedly proposed providing additional funding for Taiwan and securing the U.S.-Mexico border to smoothen the deal for conservative House Republicans, who have called on Biden to take a tougher stance on China and border security.

However, no package can be considered until the House elects a new leader. By late Sunday, lawmakers still had not found a way to resolve the impasse.

“This is truly a tragedy,” said Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio and chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence. Turner called ousting former Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this month “a very bad deal for America.”

Since McCarthy’s ouster, House Republicans have repeatedly failed to unite around new leaders. The party selected its latest nominee, Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan, in a secret ballot on Friday.

But as many as 55 House Republicans remain opposed to Jordan’s candidacy, making it nearly impossible for him to be elected on a House vote. Any Speaker must be elected by a simple majority of the House of Representatives.

With Republicans narrowly controlling the lower chamber of Congress and Democrats already viewing Jordan as an “extraordinary extremist figure,” he cannot afford to lose his side’s minority votes.

Still, Jordan and his allies are understood to be aiming for a vote in the House of Representatives as soon as Tuesday.

On Sunday, McCarthy, who endorsed Jordan, expressed confidence that he would ultimately receive the 217 votes needed to seize the speaker’s gavel.

“Eventually, Jim can get there,” McCarthy told Fox News. “I’m doing everything I can to help him become speaker.”

Others are more skeptical. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican congressman from Texas, also endorsed Jordan. But when asked about the Ohio congressman’s chances on Sunday, he told CNN: “Nothing is impossible, but based on what I’m hearing, it’s going to be very, very difficult. “

Turner, another Jordan supporter, said he “prefers a Republican solution.” But he left the door open to working with Democrats as a last resort, saying: “If need be… then I think obviously we have to make a deal.”

Senior House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries told NBC News on Sunday that he has had “informal conversations” with Republicans about forming a governing coalition.

Israel already receives $3.8 billion in annual funding from the United States under a 10-year deal that runs until 2028. But the Pentagon expects the country will need support from funds already in the program, including additional interceptor systems for the Iron Dome missile defense system.

After meeting with Israeli officials on Sunday, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Schumer told reporters in Tel Aviv that he would not wait for the House to move forward with a comprehensive security plan “in the coming weeks.” Any bill would need to be passed by both houses of Congress before it could be signed into law by Biden.

“We’re not waiting on the House, plain and simple. That’s stupid,” Schumer said.

“But we believe that if we put together a strong package and pass it with an overwhelming, strong bipartisan majority, it will somehow put pressure on the House to act.”