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Tag: U.S. House Of Representatives

  • Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the Israel-Hamas war, Republicans in Congress, and the stakes of the 2024 election

    Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the Israel-Hamas war, Republicans in Congress, and the stakes of the 2024 election

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    The United States Congress is not particularly popular these days, and look no further than the current session to understand why. It will likely be the least productive Congress since the Civil War. One lawmaker who’s figured out a way to get a few things done is Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. He replaced Nancy Pelosi as the leader of the Democrats in the House over a year ago and the 53-year-old has built a reputation as a consensus builder in his own caucus and as a tough but respectful opponent of the Republican Party. Minority Leader Jeffries could potentially become the first Black speaker of the House, though to hear him tell it, the Democrats are already in charge. 

    Hakeem Jeffries: Even though we’re in the minority, we effectively have been governing as if we were in the majority because we continue to provide a majority of the votes necessary to get things done. Those are just the facts.

    The fact is, Republicans in the House are a majority in name only. With just two votes to spare, infighting has crippled their conference. Even some Republican members are at their wits’ end.

    Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas, on April 9): The Lord Jesus himself could not manage this conference.

    Hakeem Jeffries: It’s a difficult situation on the other side of the aisle, because many of my Republican colleagues are more interested in creating chaos, dysfunction, and extremism.

    Norah O’Donnell: For what purpose?

    Hakeem Jeffries: That’s a good question that has to be asked of them. We were sent by the American people, to get things done, to solve problems. At the end of the day, some people don’t have that view of the job.

    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries

    60 Minutes


    Nine months after getting the job of speaker, Republican Kevin McCarthy of California got dumped by the far-right wing of his party. Following three weeks of paralysis, Mike Johnson of Louisiana took his place.

    After he worked with Democrats to pass the foreign aid bill that included $61 billion for Ukraine, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who opposed it, said she will follow through with a threat to oust him.

    Jeffries told us he works to find common ground with the other side of the aisle and at least one Republican who might be happy about that is Speaker Johnson. 

    This past week Democrats said they would vote against Congresswoman Greene’s effort to remove him.

    Norah O’Donnell: Has Speaker Johnson asked for your help?

    Hakeem Jeffries: He has not. And our view would traditionally be, “Let the other side work its own mess out.” But when that mess starts to impact the ability to do the job on behalf of the American people, then the responsible thing at that moment might be for us to make clear that we will not allow the extremists to throw the Congress and the country into chaos.

    As chaos spreads across college campuses nationwide over Israel and Gaza, some far left members of Jeffries’ own party have shown support for protestors…

    Leader Jeffries, whose district is 11% Jewish, spoke about the protests at his weekly press conference this past Wednesday.

    Hakeem Jeffries (on May 1): Peaceful protest is an important part of the fabric of America but we shouldn’t see any protest ever veer into threatening the safety and security of others, into anti-semitism, or racism, or xenophobia.

    In all, 37 House Democrats recently voted against sending more military aid to Israel.

    The divisive issue will follow Leader Jeffries and President Biden into the election this November, where control of the White House and Congress looks like a coin flip.

    Norah O’Donnell: What do you think about how Israel has been waging this war against Hamas in Gaza?

    Hakeem Jeffries: Israel was put in a very difficult– situation when it comes to the horrific events of 10/7– a brutal terrorist attack by Hamas, which is an entity that has sworn to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth. So Israel was in a position where of course it had to respond, to decisively defeat Hamas. At the same time, my view has been that we have to do everything possible to get the hostages out, and to surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza. 

    Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
    Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries

    60 Minutes


    Norah O’Donnell: But isn’t it also true that while retaliating and going after Hamas terrorists, that Israel has been indiscriminate in its bombing?

    Hakeem Jeffries: I would not say that they’ve been indiscriminate. I do think what we’d like to see moving forward is the execution of the new phases of this conflict with surgical precision.

    Norah O’Donnell: You can still be a strong supporter of Israel and Americans’ defense of Israel and be critical of their approach, about how they waged this war in Gaza.

    Hakeem Jeffries: That’s correct.

    Norah O’Donnell: But you seem reluctant to criticize Israel at all.

    Hakeem Jeffries: I’m dealing with the facts– on the ground. 

    Norah O’Donnell: The facts are there are – according to the UN – half of Gaza’s 2.2 million people are on the verge of famine. Ha– has Israel done enough to get food and aid into Gaza?

    Hakeem Jeffries: Israel clearly– needs to do more, as– as they have recently acknowledged through their actions to surge humanitarian assistance– into Gaza. The other thing that I think– is important–

    Norah O’Donnell: Only after they killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen–

    Hakeem Jeffries: Correct. And that was– that– that was horrific, including one American. Now in terms of the loss of innocent Palestinian life in this tough theater of war, that is deeply disturbing, tragic, and should be painful for anyone who has a shred of humanity in their body. 

    In March, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a staunch supporter of Israel, spoke out against the way it’s waging war in Gaza.

    Sen. Chuck Schumer (in March): The fourth major obstacle to peace is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    Norah O’Donnell: Was Leader Schumer’s speech a turning point?

    Hakeem Jeffries: Anything that Chuck Schumer has to say– on the subject is gonna be incredibly important and received. But at the same time, every single member of Congress has the responsibility of answering to their constituency. That’s the beauty of American democracy. So what Leader Schumer has to say on a given issue, what Mitch McConnell has to say on a given issue, yeah, there’s some importance connected to it in Congress inside the Beltway.

    Norah O’Donnell: That was a very long answer without answering my question. (laugh)

    Hakeem Jeffries: Well, it– it was– it–

    Norah O’Donnell: I mean, come on.

    Hakeem Jeffries: Yeah.

    Norah O’Donnell: Chuck Schumer criticizing the Prime Minister of Israel, calling for him to be replaced, that’s a big deal.

    Hakeem Jeffries: Chuck Schumer’s words speak for themselves. But I think that trying to suggest that Leader Schumer is somehow undermining the U.S.-Israel relationship is ridiculous. 

    Norah O’Donnell: How worried are you that voters’ frustration with President Biden over the war in Gaza could hurt Democrats’ chances in this election year?

    Hakeem Jeffries: We can’t take any vote for granted. But I also believe that, at the end of the day, voters are gonna look at the totality of circumstances. Who is fighting to deliver for everyday Americans, and who is simply fighting for himself? 

    Hakeem Jeffries says he learned about fighting for everyday Americans from his parents. His father was a substance abuse counselor. His mother, a social worker, who Jeffries says taught him and his brother – a college professor – to work hard and be good to people. Jeffries attended NYU Law School, worked for a prestigious law firm, then spent a few years as an attorney for 60 Minutes’ parent company, CBS, before entering politics in 2006.

    Norah O'Donnell and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries
    Norah O’Donnell and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries

    60 Minutes


    Norah O’Donnell: You are the first Black leader for either party in either house ever. What does that say about America?

    Hakeem Jeffries: Government of the people, by the people, and for the people isn’t just a theoretical concept. Like, it actually exists in America.

    He was raised in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, a few blocks away from his district…

    … where Sundays were for church. At 12 years old, he became an usher, and says it taught him how to talk to people … 

    Jeffries says he visited more than 60 churches in Brooklyn last year.

    One of Jeffries’ allies told us his ability to connect to both young and old Black voters makes him an important surrogate for President Biden this fall.

    Norah O’Donnell: Black voters are a core Democratic constituency. Why do you think support for President Biden has decreased among Black voters?

    Hakeem Jeffries: I think that tremendous progress has been made– for African Americans under the leadership of Joe Biden that’s quantifiable. But the reality is, there’s still real challenges.

    One new challenge in communities in New York city and in many others around the country is the influx of migrants. Shelters to house thousands of them have gone up in and around Jeffries’ district.

    Norah O’Donnell: What do you say to voters who not only see migrants streaming into the U.S. not just from Mexico and Latin America, but also from China and other countries and wonder, “What’s Congress doing about this?”

    Hakeem Jeffries: We have a broken immigration system and we have clear challenges at the border that we have to confront decisively and in a bipartisan way. And the American people are crying out for us to do something about the situation at the border in a manner consistent with our values. 

    Norah O’Donnell: How big of an issue will abortion rights be this election year?

    Hakeem Jeffries: It’s gonna be an incredibly significant issue because on its own, it’s about freedom. And the extreme MAGA Republicans have set in motion the erosion of reproductive freedom. We’re gonna fight for it with everything that we’ve got at our disposal. If Roe v. Wade can fall, anything can fall. Social Security can fall. Medicare can fall. Voting rights can fall. And God help us all, but democracy itself can fall. If Roe v. Wade can fall, then anything can fall.

    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries

    60 Minutes


    Leader Jeffries says Democrats have a story to tell beyond what voters have to lose in November, and pointed to legislative wins for gun safety, and the billions invested in American manufacturing and infrastructure.

    Hakeem Jeffries: Those are real results. 

    Norah O’Donnell: But two-thirds of voters think the economy was better under President Trump.

    Hakeem Jeffries: Well, that’s just not the case. And we have to do a better job of laying out the facts that the economy has dramatically improved under the leadership of President Joe Biden. 

    Norah O’Donnell: But if– if those are the facts, why don’t voters believe it? Is that a communication problem?

    Hakeem Jeffries: Voters understand that more needs to be done, that there are challenges that remain. We understand we have to lower costs. We have to end price gouging. We have to grow the middle class. We have to keep our communities safe. We have to solve the problems and challenges at the border. We’re on the right side of those issues. And we just have to make sure we make that case in a compelling, a clear, and a comprehensive way to the American people.

    Norah O’Donnell: You admit you haven’t done that yet?

    Hakeem Jeffries: It’s a work in progress. 

    Produced by Keith Sharman. Associate producer, Roxanne Feitel. Broadcast associates, Eliza Costas and Callie Teitelbaum. Edited by Craig Crawford.

    Norah O’Donnell


    Norah O'Donnell

    Norah O’Donnell is the anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News.” She also contributes to “60 Minutes.” O’Donnell is a multiple Emmy Award-winning journalist with nearly three decades of experience covering the biggest stories in the world and conducting impactful, news-making interviews.

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  • The House Passed A Bill To Fight Antisemitism. Here’s Why Critics Call It Misleading.

    The House Passed A Bill To Fight Antisemitism. Here’s Why Critics Call It Misleading.

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    A bill expanding the definition of antisemitism was passed on Wednesday by a bipartisan vote in the House — but despite the legislation on its face claiming to help federal officials better protect Jewish students on school campuses, critics say it is misleading and will only serve to crack down on the free speech rights of students currently protesting Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza and the U.S. government’s continued support.

    The House voted 320-91 in support of the Antisemitism Awareness Act, establishing a broader definition of antisemitism to enforce federal anti-discrimination laws. The bill would codify the intergovernmental International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism into the legal framework established by the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination based on shared ancestry, ethnic characteristics or national origin.

    “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities,” the IHRA’s working definition of antisemitism, as adopted in 2016, reads.

    “Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity,” the IHRA adds. “However, criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.”

    Seventy Democrats and 21 Republicans voted against the House bill, which now goes to the Senate. If passed and then signed into law by President Joe Biden, the bill would expand what counts as illegal ethnic discrimination to include anything covered by the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism.

    A sponsor of the bill, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), said in a statement Wednesday that the bill “gives teeth to federal anti-discrimination laws to go after those who attack their Jewish peers.”

    “Politics should never get in the way of the safety of the students,” he said.

    Kenneth Stern, the professor who drafted the IHRA’s working definition of antisemitism, warned Congress in 2017 that if government bodies “enshrine this definition into law, outside groups will try and suppress — rather than answer — political speech they don’t like. The academy, Jewish students and faculty teaching about Jewish issues, will all suffer.”

    Police face off with pro-Palestinian students after destroying part of their encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) early on May 2, 2024.

    Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images

    The Biden administration and Congress have faced increased scrutiny from within the U.S. for their continued support of Israel’s siege in Gaza, which began after Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people on Oct. 7 in Israel and took roughly 250 hostage. The Israeli offensive has since killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza and displaced at least 80% of the region’s residents, has destroyed important infrastructure like schools, hospitals and religious institutions and has brought on a famine.

    If the bill is enacted, the Department of Education could use its expanded definition of antisemitism to stifle the ongoing antiwar protests at college campuses across the U.S., according to the bill’s opponents.

    In recent weeks, students from multiple faiths, races and ethnicities have begun camping out on school grounds, calling for the U.S. to stop funding Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and for their universities to divest from companies financially tied to Israel.

    Witness descriptions and footage from the campus protests portray the demonstrations to be generally peaceful — though the arrival of counterprotesters and police, who have been recorded assaulting and arresting students and professors, has caused them to turn violent. Law enforcement agencies, often called in by university administrators, have so far arrested about 2,000 protesters, according to a tally by The Associated Press.

    “Instead of focusing on protecting the free speech rights of Palestinian, Arab, Muslim and Jewish students who face harassment and attacks during recent student-led protests on campus, House lawmakers attempted to adopt in law the anti-free speech IHRA definition,” said Robert McCaw, director of government affairs for Muslim civil rights group CAIR.

    “Misleading definitions like these are being weaponized right now to suppress and silence Muslim, Jewish, Palestinian and allied communities’ student-led protests against the Israeli government’s war crimes in Gaza.”

    Pro-Palestinian protestors stand on stairs near an encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles campus on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
    Pro-Palestinian protestors stand on stairs near an encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles campus on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

    Eric Thayer via Getty Images

    Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union called on House lawmakers to vote against the bill, saying federal law already bans antisemitic discrimination and harassment. Dozens of universities in the U.S. already face civil rights investigations by the DOE over allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia.

    The bill instead ”would likely chill free speech of students on college campuses by incorrectly equating criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism,” the ACLU said in a letter sent Friday to the House.

    Others who oppose the bill — including some Democrats, free speech advocates and pro-Palestinian groups — have also pointed out the dangers of equating criticism of the Israeli government with hatred of a religion or culture.

    “Speech that is critical of Israel alone does not constitute unlawful discrimination,” Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday. “By encompassing purely political speech about Israel into Title VI’s ambit, the bill sweeps too broadly.”

    IfNotNow, a Jewish American organization that opposes the Israeli occupation, called the bill “fearmongering by political and communal leaders and right-wing organization AIPAC,” referring to the massive pro-Israel lobbying group.

    “As American Jews, we see this McCarthyite crackdown on speech under the guise of Jewish safety as extremely dangerous,” IfNotNow national spokesperson Eva Borgwardt said after the bill’s passage. “We know that Jewish safety cannot come at the expense of Palestinian freedom. Jewish safety and Palestinian safety are inextricably intertwined.”

    “This bill would criminalize criticism on college campuses in the name of protecting American Jews, but its impact would be the opposite.”

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  • House Votes To Censure 66% Of Americans For Antisemitic Support Of Ceasefire

    House Votes To Censure 66% Of Americans For Antisemitic Support Of Ceasefire

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    WASHINGTON—Pushing through the measure in response to recent nationwide opinion polls, the U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday to censure 66% of Americans for their antisemitic support of a ceasefire in Gaza. “Today, this censure sends a clear message that our Congress will not tolerate the dangerous calls for peace perpetrated by 80% of Democrats, 57% of independents, and 56% of Republicans,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, who further added that elected officials could not continue to turn a blind eye to the roughly 225 million out of 340 million Americans who expressed the bigoted view that Israel’s attacks on Palestinian civilians should end. “In a clear vote of 234-188, Democrats and Republicans stand united in our belief that the vast majority of Americans cannot continue to spread hate by acknowledging that a war that has claimed the lives of over 10,000 Gazans, most of them women and children, might be bad. While we believe in free speech, this time, an overwhelming number of U.S. voters have taken it too far.” At press time, Johnson could be heard admonishing Americans and warning that if they continued their antisemitic calls for ceasefire they would all be expelled from the country forever.

    Police Officer Explains Why The Intoxicating Rush Of Murder Should Always Be A Last Resort

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  • ‘Morning Joe’ Co-Host Busts Moderate GOPers’ Excuse For Electing ‘MAGA Mike Johnson’

    ‘Morning Joe’ Co-Host Busts Moderate GOPers’ Excuse For Electing ‘MAGA Mike Johnson’

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    MSNBC’s Willie Geist on Thursday dismissed the idea that moderate Republicans didn’t have enough time to vet election-denying Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) ahead of voting for him to become the new House speaker.

    The idea that Johnson’s election moved too quickly to examine his record “doesn’t pass the laugh test,” said the “Morning Joe” co-anchor.

    “Because it wasn’t moving quickly,” Geist pointed out.

    “All you have to do is Google him to find that he was one of the architects and the leaders of the efforts, the attempt anyway, to overturn the 2020 election,” he added.

    Johnson strongly backed former President Donald Trump’s efforts to reverse his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden. He is also a fierce opponent of LGBTQ+ rights and abortion.

    Trump cheered “MAGA Mike Johnson” following his victory.

    Earlier on “Morning Joe,” The Washington Post’s Jacqueline Alemany described Johnson’s election as a “really remarkable turn of events” given his lack of name recognition. She said one lawmaker said Republicans “didn’t have time to properly vet him.”

    Alemany also explained Rep. Ken Buck’s (R-Colo.) justification for backing Johnson, when he’d been staunchly against the Trump-endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

    “Jordan was actively involved in encouraging the rioters to storm the U.S. Capitol” whereas Johnson “was involved in the lawyerly aspects of the fight and, therefore, it wasn’t as harmful,” Alemany said Buck reasoned.

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  • GOP Lawmaker Goes To Town On Matt Gaetz And His Allies In Snark-Filled Letter

    GOP Lawmaker Goes To Town On Matt Gaetz And His Allies In Snark-Filled Letter

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    Republican infighting showed no sign of abating over the weekend as Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) issued a blistering letter to Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and seven others in the conference who voted to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

    The sarcastic missive, shared online by several congressional reporters, was in response to a Friday letter from Gaetz and six of the seven others to their colleagues.

    Those seven lawmakers said they were “prepared to accept censure, suspension, or removal” from the conference if that’s what it took to get holdouts against Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-Ohio) speakership to “vote with the team.” (Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, the eighth member of the group that voted to remove McCarthy, was also listed on the letter but said it was a mistake. He opposed Jordan’s speakership).

    McClintock called out the hypocrisy of his fellow Republicans in a letter on his official letterhead on Saturday.

    “Dear Wayward colleagues,” McClintock’s letter began. “Your letter of October 20, in which you graciously offer to martyr yourselves as long as you can get your way, is perhaps the most selfless act in American history.”

    “I was certain that our Republican colleagues ‘who refuse to vote’ with the Republican majority would have been inspired by your stirring example of party discipline and loyalty to ‘vote with the team,’ as you so eloquently phrased it,” he continued.

    “We truly don’t deserve you,” he wrote.

    He suggested that his colleagues “plan your martyrdom in the only way that truly matters: to have the wisdom to see the damage you have done to our country and to have the courage to set things right before it is too late.”

    He said he had included a proposed resolution “that perhaps one of you can offer as we begin the fourth week of national paralysis and as the world burns around us.”

    He signed off: “Your secret admirer, Tom McClintock.”

    Attached was a proposed Republican resolution condemning the vote to remove McCarthy and declaring him the nominee, according to Axios reporter Juliegrace Brufke.

    Earlier this month, Gaetz filed a motion to oust McCarthy because the latter wouldn’t acquiesce to his demands on spending legislation and other issues.

    Even though only eight Republicans supported McCarthy’s removal, the conference is now forced to elect a new leader. It has since struggled to find a path forward or coalesce around a candidate.

    The first nominee, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), stepped down when he failed to garner enough support.

    Jordan did so too on Friday after losing three House floor votes by increasingly poor margins. McClintock voted for Jordan on all three ballots.

    Republicans are now back to the drawing board amid a crisis in the Middle East and a looming deadline to pass legislation to keep the government open.

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  • Ex-GOP congressman warns Republicans aiming to be speaker are “dangerous”

    Ex-GOP congressman warns Republicans aiming to be speaker are “dangerous”

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    Former Republican Representative David Jolly warned that the GOP members running for the House speakership position could be just as “dangerous” as Representative Jim Jordan while speaking to Newsweek on Sunday.

    On October 3, Representative Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, became the first House speaker in U.S. history to be ousted from the role by a floor vote, after a motion to vacate was brought against him by GOP Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida. Since then, successive GOP candidates for speaker have failed to garner the necessary majority of votes, an issue worsened by the party’s razor-thin margin of control in the House.

    Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana was the first candidate chosen, but he ultimately failed to get the votes needed on the chamber floor and withdrew from consideration. Jordan of Ohio, the candidate initially endorsed by Trump, was next up, but he also failed to garner the needed votes, losing more and more support in three consecutive rounds of voting.

    Nine Republicans announced their candidacy to be the next House speaker including: Representatives Tom Emmer of Minnesota, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Pete Sessions of Texas, Austin Scott of Georgia, Byron Donalds of Florida, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, and Gary Palmer of Alabama.

    Representative Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, speaks at the U.S. Capitol on Friday in Washington, D.C. Inset, former GOP Representative David Jolly of Florida is seen on March 13, 2014, in Washington, D.C. Jolly warned that the GOP members running for the House speakership position could be just as “dangerous” as Jordan while speaking to Newsweek on Sunday.
    Alex Wong/ Drew Angerer/Getty Images

    Jolly, who served Florida’s 13th Congressional District from 2014 to 2017, told Newsweek via phone on Sunday that Jordan is “one of the more dangerous Republican leaders in his willingness to undermine democracy and as he sought to assist Trump in stealing the election in 2020, I’m sure he would try to do so in 2024.”

    He continued: “So his elimination from the speakership race, I think is a net positive all around. That does not mean that there’s a wide gap between him and who comes next, to be honest. If you look at the field of current candidates for speaker, they probably lack the tactics of Jordan, but I think many of them would arrive at the same destination.”

    Jolly explained that the candidates may not start off at such a dangerous spot as Jordan, but may end up there.

    “I made that point for those who thought Jordan was so much worse than McCarthy. My point was McCarthy always ended up where Jordan started. It just took him longer to get there,” he said. “McCarthy blessed the impeachment of Joe Biden, he covered for Trump on the January 6th stuff, [and] he negotiated in bad faith with Biden and then broke his promise. So it’s not as though other leading Republicans are significantly and qualitatively less dangerous than Jordan, but Jordan just starts from a very dangerous spot.”

    Although the Republicans hold a slight majority in the House of Representatives and have been struggling to find a nominee that can garner at least 217 votes necessary to win the House speaker vote, Jolly said he is “cautiously optimistic” and that he believes Republicans are close to resolving this issue.

    He added that “all of the high-profile potential speakers have been vetted and lost,” so the Republicans will go with a candidate that “the country largely doesn’t know.”

    Jolly, who left the Republican Party in 2018, questions if the “hardliner” Republicans will agree to anything.

    “The next speaker will have to compromise with [Hakeem] Jeffries, [Chuck] Schumer, and Biden. The next speaker will lose the appropriations fight coming up in 30 days,” he said. “The House Republican Conference hardliners are not grounded in reality. They are not grounded in the reality of governing. And, if they’re going to hold their speaker to that alternate reality, I don’t know how anyone gets to 217, but I think that this week will be the closest anyone could come.”

    House Democrats have not moved from their position at electing their nominee, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, in all three rounds of voting, but Jolly said there is “zero” chance of swaying enough House Republicans to vote him in.

    However, Jolly does see a scenario where there could be a consensus with Democratic support of a Republican nominee, but not without concessions. Jolly suggested Patrick McHenry, a North Carolina Republican, who is currently presiding as Speaker pro tempore, but is not one of the candidates running.

    “So we would have to be in a scenario where things fell apart,” the former congressman said. “And to a lesser extent Emmer or Austin Scott. Simply because they did both vote to certify the [2020] election.”

    Jolly said that for Democrats to vote for a Republican speaker they would most likely ask House Republicans to agree to “three pieces of legislation that would come up under an open rule where every member could offer an amendment. Those three would be Israel, Ukraine, and the final appropriations package.”

    However, Jolly said he does not believe Republicans would agree to those concessions.