Lack of House Speaker will slow US response to war in Israel

US Republicans argue that Hamas' attack on Israel has heightened the urgency of reaching a consensus on voting on a new House of Representatives speaker. 

As reported by AP, this sentiment aligns with the Biden administration's worry that the absence of a leader could impede their ability to authorize aid for Israel.

The significance of this situation lies in the fact that several lawmakers are eager for the United States to promptly take action, combining measures like sanctions, aid, and resolutions to express support for Israel. However, they emphasize that Republicans must transcend their internal divisions and address the uncertainty surrounding the temporary speaker's authority, who was appointed after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted shortly after the House avoided a government shutdown by passing a funding bill with heavy amendments.

Lawmakers have been diligently crafting bipartisan initiatives to demonstrate their solidarity with Israel. Nevertheless, a major concern shared by many is that if the process of selecting a speaker extends beyond the scheduled vote on Wednesday, it could lead to delays in the US response to Israel's crisis.

GOP sources have pointed out that both contenders for the position of speaker, namely the Republicans House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan, currently fall short of the 218 votes required for election.