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Up To Date

Former Kansas Rep. Kevin Yoder says House GOP needs leadership on Israel-Hamas crisis

By Steve Kraske,
Claudia Brancart
Published October 12, 2023 at 3:45 PM CDT
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FILE - The speaker's dais is seen in the House of Representatives of the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. After House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the job by a contingent of hard-right conservatives this week, House GOP leaders are now grappling to find a new speaker. With no speaker of the House, a constitutional officer second in line to the presidency, the Congress cannot fully function — to pass laws, fund the government and otherwise serve as the branch of government closest to the people — during a time of simmering uncertainty at home and abroad. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
J. Scott Applewhite
/
AP
House Republicans nominated House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana this Wednesday to be speaker, though no vote has taken place and the likelihood the representative is elected remains uncertain.

Without a speaker to lead the U.S. House, Yoder says Republicans can’t rally around a cause they can mostly all agree on: The urgent need to send defense aid to Israel in the wake of Hamas’ attack.

The United States House of Representatives has hardly functioned since Democrats joined a small group of far-right Republicans to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker last week.

Legislation can’t be passed without a speaker, including defense aid to Israel in its war against Hamas, which is an issue most Republicans can get behind, according to former Kansas Representative Kevin Yoder.

“In the Republican Conference, it's a very unifying rally cry,” Yoder told KCUR on Thursday. “And so I think they want to beat their chests on this and really support Israel, but it's hard to do that when you don't have a speaker.”

While Republicans nominated House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana this Wednesday to be speaker, no vote has taken place and the likelihood the representative is elected remains uncertain.

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Up To Date PodcastpoliticsCongressU.S. House of RepresentativesGovernmentRepublicansKevin Yoder
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Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
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Claudia Brancart
As a producer for Up To Date, I create sound-rich talk show segments about the individuals and communities that call Kansas City home. Whether it’s a poet, a business owner or a local lawmaker, I seek out diverse voices to help break down the biggest stories of the day. After listening to the show, I want Up To Date listeners to feel informed and empowered to make decisions in their daily lives. You can reach me at claudiab@kcur.org
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