McCarthy positions himself as a de facto leader as Republicans divide over the selection of the House speaker.

Republicans are facing a dilemma in choosing the U.S. House speaker, resulting in a significant power vacuum in Congress. This situation is greatly hindering America’s capacity to promptly address the crisis in Israel or any other domestic or international issues.

On Monday, Kevin McCarthy, who was removed from his position as speaker, wasted no time in harshly criticizing President Joe Biden’s administration for its weak defense of Israel. Despite being ousted by his colleagues, McCarthy has positioned himself as a de facto Republican leader.

It is uncertain whether McCarthy or any other Republicans like Steve Scalise or Jim Jordan can successfully return to power as the House Republicans face internal conflicts. The House Republicans will hold a closed-door meeting on Monday evening to regain control of their majority before potential speaker elections later this week.

“I have the ability to lead in any position, regardless of whether I am the speaker or not,” stated McCarthy, a Republican from California, at the Capitol.

The current situation in the House of Representatives has placed the U.S. Congress in a critical position during a crisis. This is the first instance in history where the speaker has been removed from power, leaving the Congress without a constitutional officer who is second in line to the presidency. As a result, all House business, including most congressional actions, has come to a halt.

It is uncertain what actions, if any, the Congress can take with just a temporary leader. There is a potential risk of losing immediate assistance to Israel and the passing of a resolution that demonstrates U.S. backing for Israel and denounces Hamas for their attack, especially during this time of ongoing conflict in the region.

And there are broader demands on Congress, including Ukraine’s requests for aid as it fights Russia and the need to fund the U.S. government again by Nov. 17 or risk a federal shutdown. The Senate meanwhile is also out of session, on recess until next week.

“I cannot reword”

Republicans are scheduled to meet privately in the evening as they assess the path forward after McCarthy’s historic ouster by a handful of hardline Republicans, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.,

Gaetz expressed on social media that there are two exceptional individuals contending for the position of speaker, implying his potential endorsement for either Scalise or Jordan.

However, both Scalise, the second-highest ranking Republican in the House, and Jordan, the Judiciary Committee chairman supported by Donald Trump, do not seem to have enough votes to win the majority vote.

Both Republicans who have long desired to become the speaker possess political advantages, but they also carry burdens that divide and make colleagues doubtful.

Scalise, who is currently fighting blood cancer, is admired by his colleagues for surviving serious injuries sustained in a mass shooting incident during a congressional baseball game practice in 2017. However, in 2014, the Louisiana Republican apologized for his involvement with a white supremacist group in 2002, which was established by a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan. Scalise claimed that he was unaware of the group’s racist beliefs.

Jordan is a high-profile political firebrand known for his close alliance with Trump, particularly when the former president was working to overturn the results of the 2020 election that led to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

A while back, Jordan and his team refuted claims made by former wrestlers who accused him of being aware of their inappropriate encounters with an Ohio doctor during his tenure as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University. Jordan and his team maintain that he had no knowledge of any misconduct.

On Fox News, Jordan expressed the importance of House Republicans coming together and demonstrating their commitment to fighting for the country.

The House Republicans have a narrow majority and are contemplating making changes to the rules to prevent a repeat of the lengthy process it took for McCarthy to become the speaker earlier this year. Initially, Gaetz and others obstructed his election, resulting in a 15-round spectacle.

While the full House ultimately votes on the new speaker, the position usually falls to a person from the party with the House majority.

One idea is to require the candidate for House speaker to reach the 218 majority threshold during internal voting behind closed doors before the Republicans bring the vote up publicly on the House floor.

Another idea is to change the rule that allows a single lawmaker to make a “motion to vacate” the office – which is the rare procedural tool Gaetz used to force a snap vote that ousted McCarthy. In previous years, it required more the one lawmaker to make the motion.

However, the evening gathering is anticipated to involve a lot of internal conflict and lack effective resolutions, as Republicans struggle to cope with the disorder that has greatly disrupted their majority.

Democrats so far reject both Scalise and Jordan, and are almost certain to vote against both Republicans. McCarthy’s ouster came with the help of Democrats, who voiced their disdain for the speaker and joined with the handful of eight Republicans to oust him.

Currently, there is no agreement on a candidate who could unite both parties, and it appears unlikely to happen in the near future.

In the meantime, Rep. Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina, has been appointed as speaker pro-tempore. This role was established after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, to guarantee the uninterrupted functioning of the government in Washington.

The regulations concerning the temporary speaker position have not been previously examined, but they seem to suggest that the primary authority of this role is to guarantee the appointment of a new speaker.

If House Republicans cannot reach a swift consensus on a speaker, McHenry may hold the position for an extended period.

Any moves McHenry makes in the temporary position have the potential to become precedent-setting for the House. The North Carolina Republican is viewed as a serious legislator, nearly 20 years in office, even though his first acts were to boot Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi from her private office at the Capitol.

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This report was contributed to by Farnoush Amiri and Stephen Groves, writers for the Associated Press.