👋 Good Wednesday morning!
In today’s Every day Kickoff, we interview Hady Amr, the State Department’s special representative for Palestinian affairs, and talk over with Recent York City councilmembers who recently returned from a visit to Israel. Also in today’s Every day Kickoff: Yael Lempert, Amos Hochsteinand Sander Gerber.
For the primary time in a century, the House adjourned after its first day without electing a speaker. In three rounds of voting yesterday, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was unable to muster the 218 votes crucial to deliver him the speakership, with 19 or 20 Republicans defecting in each round. Democrats stuck together to vote for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
It’s unclear where things go from here — McCarthy has indicated that he’s unwilling to grant any further concessions to a block of hard-right holdouts and provocateurs, and his opponents have made clear that they are going to not back him in future rounds. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), who voted for McCarthy on the primary two ballots, flipped within the third round of voting. Within the second two rounds, McCarthy’s opponents voted for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who delivered a speech supporting McCarthy and voted for him in all three rounds.
Donalds remained confident after the third vote that Republicans would ultimately reach a resolution, but told reporters that “obviously there’s some more questions and conversations that have to be had” to find out who can muster 218 votes. Donalds said he wouldn’t be against switching his vote back to McCarthy if the California Republican can garner the requisite support, but added, “it is evident that pathway doesn’t exist.”
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) emerged from the day’s proceedings frustrated, describing the events as “really an inside baseball, D.C. swamp exercise in total BS.” Crenshaw told Jewish Insider that he’s doubtful every other Republican could marshal 218 votes from the GOP conference without making greater concessions to the hard right than McCarthy has been willing to supply, but additionally noted “a really large block of Republicans” will vote just for McCarthy.
If the situation doesn’t change, the choice, Crenshaw continued, can be a moderate Republican brokering a cope with Democratic leadership to land the speakership with Democratic support. “To be clear, I might not be a supporter of that scenario — I’d somewhat just keep this going,” he said, “but you higher imagine that might occur. That has happened in state legislatures.” He added, “You realize why me and Marjorie [Taylor Greene] are like best friends now? It’s because we each understand that.”
Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY), a Jeffries ally, told reporters that Democrats won’t be making the primary move on a compromise: “it could’t be us going to them — they’ve to come back to us.” Donalds said he didn’t anticipate that such a compromise would materialize.
Until a speaker is chosen, members can’t be sworn in, the House cannot adopt rules, committees can’t be formed and laws can’t be introduced or considered, leaving legislative business frozen. The House will reconvene at noon today.
Embattled Rep.-elect George Santos (R-NY) spent the morning prior to the votes dodging questions from a pack of reporters waiting outside his office, after which spent the primary two votes sitting in a back corner of the House, interacting minimally along with his recent colleagues and sometimes taking a look at his phone. Santos’ only comment to reporters was that he would vote for McCarthy, which he did on all three ballots.
Elsewhere in Washington, President Joe Biden submitted a slate of nominations to the Senate for the brand new 12 months, including renewing some previously stalled nominations. Amongst those renominated were embattled India ambassador nominee Eric Garcetti, Saudi Arabia ambassador nominee Michael Ratney, Kuwait ambassador nominee Karen Sasahara, counterterrorism coordinator nominee Elizabeth Richard, and UAE ambassador nominee Martina Anna Tkadlec Strong. Ratney is the previous chargé d’affaires on the U.S. Embassy to Israel and Sasahara was the previous consul general in Jerusalem and chargé d’affaires on the U.S. Embassy to Jordan.
Recent nominees include former Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Yael Lempert, nominated to be ambassador to Jordan; Ana Escrogima, a profession foreign service officer nominated to be ambassador to Oman; and Dorothy Shea, currently the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, nominated to be the U.S.’s deputy representative to the United Nations.
Amongst those not renominated were Tamara Cofman Wittes — who was tapped to steer the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Middle East work but has since taken on a post on the State Department — and Elizabeth Bagley, who had been nominated to be U.S. ambassador to Brazil, but faced pushback over past comments concerning the influence of the “Jewish lobby” in politics.
