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.
- Former U.S. Congressman Kevin Yoder, R-Kansas