Israel war: Schumer says Senate must move on aid package without speakerless House

The Senate will not wait for the House to select a speaker to move forward with an aid package for Israel, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said on Monday.

Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish leader in the U.S. government, unveiled plans for the Senate to vote on a resolution condemning Hamas “in the coming days” and to put together an assistance package shortly after that. The majority leader, who returned from a bipartisan trip to Israel on Monday afternoon, also said the chamber will confirm Jack Lew to the Israeli ambassador post with “all due haste.”

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Noting the speaker’s fight in the lower chamber, Schumer said on the Senate floor of the aid bill, “The Senate must go first. I know the House is in disarray, but we cannot wait for them.”

The top Senate Democrat said that the package will include military, intelligence, diplomatic, and humanitarian aid.

Calling it a “time for choosing,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said in floor remarks delivered after Schumer’s that the United States needed to provide Israel with the military support it needs.

“Friends of Israel simply cannot afford to be silent,” McConnell said. “And as Israel’s closest ally, the United States must lead by our example in supporting its efforts to defend itself for as long as it takes.”

“I’ll have more to say in the coming days, but for right now: This is not merely a terrorist war against Israel, it is part of a clear and present danger to the United States and the entire civilized world,” the Kentucky Republican added.

The House has gone 12 days without a speaker after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) introduced a motion to vacate Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the speakership. The move marked the first time a speaker was removed from their post in the middle of their tenure.

The House voted in a secret ballot on Friday to make Jordan the GOP’s speaker-designee after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) dropped out of consideration for the position.

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Jordan won the nomination in a 124-81 vote, a far cry from the 217 needed to secure the speaker’s gavel. Jordan upped his numbers in a second vote, 152-55. A third vote, this time on the floor, is scheduled for Tuesday. Jordan has said he will go to the floor then even if he does not have the 217 votes locked up.

In the meantime, the House is unable to pass any legislation or conduct the vast majority of its duties.