Posted on 10/09/2023 1:40:41 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
The confirmed and possible candidates for speaker of the House have had differing voting records on U.S. aid to Ukraine, which could possibly jeopardize Kyiv’s chances of receiving funding in the future.
Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy was ousted from his position on Tuesday in a 216-210 House vote, an effort spearheaded by Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz who filed a motion to vacate the chair on Monday. A new speaker will be decided on Wednesday, and whoever is elected will have influence over whether future Ukraine aid will be included in the next spending bill before the current continuing resolution ends on Nov. 17.
The continuing resolution did not contain any funding for Ukraine, despite the Biden administration’s initial request to include $24 billion. Future aid to Ukraine has become a point of contention in both the House and the Senate and will be a major issue in the next spending bill, which must be passed by Nov. 17, is considered.
As of now, the confirmed candidates for the speaker position are Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan and Republican Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, and potential candidates include Republican Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern and Republican North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry.
Jordan currently chairs the House Judiciary Committee and confirmed his candidacy for speaker on Wednesday. He has already garnered the support of high-profile conservative figures, including former President Donald Trump and a number of his Republican colleagues.
“He will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!” Trump posted on Truth Social Friday.
Jordan voted for the initial Ukraine Lend-Lease Act in May 2022, but has since voted against all bills and amendments for further funding, and rejected the notion of including aid in the stop-gap bill that was passed on Sept. 30, according to GOPforUkraine.org. Jordan’s office directed the Daily Caller News Foundation to an interview he did on Thursday, where he made it clear that he will reject all future aid, at least until Ukraine gives an explanation as to how the funds are being used and how it plans to end the war.
“I’ve been clear all along. Why should we be sending American tax dollars to Ukraine?” Jordan said during an interview with Fox News on Thursday. “We don’t even know what the goal is. No one can tell me what the objective is.”
“And then second, how is the money that’s already been sent [been spent]?” Jordan said. “Those are two fundamental questions that I think the American taxpayers want to know the answers to before they send any more of their hard-earned money.”
Scalise, currently the house majority leader, announced his candidacy for speaker on Wednesday and has the support of GOP lawmakers like Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales and Georgia Rep. Drew Ferguson. Scalise was diagnosed with blood cancer in August, which has limited his ability to be present at recent House proceedings.
“I think the world of Steve Scalise. I think he would make a phenomenal speaker,” Gaetz previously told the DCNF.
While he hasn’t been historically vocal about his stance on Ukraine, Scalise has voted in support of every bill and amendment for Ukraine funding since the war began in February 2022, according to GOPforUkraine.org. Scalise previously called for additional oversight as to how Ukraine is spending the appropriated funds.
“Obviously, there’s concern that the money’s going to the places that it’s intended,” Scalise said in December 2022, according to Politico. “Having any taxpayer dollars that go anywhere, whether it’s domestically or abroad, deserves scrutiny.”
Hern, currently chairman of the Republican Study Committee, is considering a run for the speaker position but has yet to confirm his candidacy. Hern was previously nominated by his colleagues for the position in January but declined to run. (RELATED: McCarthy Addresses Media After Being Ousted As Speaker, Says He Will Not Run Again)
Like Jordan, Hern voted for the initial Ukraine Lend-Lease Act but subsequently voted against every amendment and bill with funding for Ukraine, according to GOPforUkraine.org. Hern has instead put a higher emphasis on securing the southern border and lowering the national debt.
“On yesterday’s vote to send more money to Ukraine, I voted no AGAIN,” Hern said on X in late September. “We need peace in Ukraine NOW! Not war!”
Also being considered for speaker is McHenry, who is currently serving as speaker pro tempore, fulfilling the duties of the office until a new speaker is elected. McHenry, a major ally to McCarthy, has voted in favor of every bill and amendment with funding for Ukraine since the country’s war with Russia began in February 2022, according to GOPforUkraine.org.
President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he was concerned that, depending on which candidate is elected as the new speaker, his foreign policy initiatives and future Ukraine aid plans could be put in jeopardy.
“It does worry me,” Biden said on Tuesday. “But I know there are a majority of members of the House and Senate in both parties who have said that they support funding Ukraine.”
“The dysfunction always concerns me,” Biden said. “There is a half a dozen or more extreme MAGA Republicans who would like to eliminate despite everything I’ve done.”
Scalise, Hern, McHenry and the White House did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
The Israeli Deep State (Shin Bet, Mossad, et al.) has been working overtime trying to take down Bibi and torpedo the reforms of the judiciary (on which they depend for their policies and power). They had no time for intel on piddly little matters like terrorist attacks...
just say NO to anyone who will not cut off funding to Ukraine!
Jordan sounds best but we need to hear this from him unequivically.
“And then second, how is the money that’s already been sent [been spent]?” Jordan said. “Those are two fundamental questions that I think the American taxpayers want to know the answers to before they send any more of their hard-earned money.”
BAM! Right on the money. (Horrible pun kind of intended.)
Awesome analysis, well done.
The ‘War’ in Ukraine is typical establishment money laundering.
Not a penny more, and an immediate forensic audit of all the taxpayer money already sent.
Jordan for Speaker.
Trump 2024.
Well, 70% of the budget was passed, and 3 more of the separate Appropriations bills were passed last week. Then the 30 day CR that had 8% spending cuts was torpedo’d by the Gaetz clan.
Over the Spring and Summer, the Dems set this debacle up by adding high spending in the Appropriations bills and then the conservatives in the Committees would have to shoot that down. Or so other FReepers have said. (I’m still not quite sure why the Pubbies couldn’t ultimately control the Committees better, but, with such a narrow House Majority, you only need one Pubbie in a “Biden District” who’s afraid to cut too much to be the weak link. What I do know is that the Speaker has limited control inside those Committees.)
So, I have mixed feelings. I don’t think McCarthy was so bad as some here scream, and, I’m very worried seeing that the Dem’s are still laughing their asses off believing this will turn the House Blue in Nov. 2024.
OTOH, I think Jordan is a good man. I listened to the entire interview cited above. Note however, that Jordan does NOT oppose stopping Putin. He said that very clearly: That it is NOT in our interest to let Pooty run amuck in Eastern Europe. He simply demands Biden state* our objectives definitively, and provide better accounting of where the money goes.
*3/4 of me thinks that first (objectives) is a straight up request, 1/4 of me thinks it might be a trap for Biden, because I don’t think if it was up to Biden himself that he (Biden) could explain how to run a lemonade stand...
What budget?
Was it a bunch of hills, masquerading as a budget?
How about an actual budget? A real one. Like they’re supposed to.
Isn’t it funny how when the democrats are in charge they pretty much completely ignore the Republicans? But when it’s the other way around, the Republicans play game with the Democrats
If we had all the things you wrote about, why the need for a CR?
Draft something decent, well before any talk of a shutdown, throw it on the table and let them be the ones to delay or whatever. For as many republicans that are in Biden districts, I’m sure they’re Democrats in Right leaning districts.
The republicans have the majority in the House. Present and pass a real budget. Let the democrats do what they want.
Everyone says they want fighters. But when someone fights they’re not supposed to. Amazing.
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