House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has set new U.S. support for Israel as his top priority if he’s selected as the next speaker of the House.
Mr. Jordan joined the Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures” program on Sunday to discuss the ongoing fighting in Israel as well as the race to select the next House Speaker.
Mr. Jordan joined the Fox News program a day after members of the Hamas terrorist group breached the Gaza Strip blockade on Saturday in a coordinated surprise attack on southern Israel. He said the attacks heightened the need for the House to select its next speaker.
“We do need to get a speaker in place as soon as possible, someone we can unite around,” Mr. Jordan said. “We need to give Israel the time, the space, the resources so that they can win, and win decisively, and send a message to these evil people who did this to our great friend and ally, the state of Israel.”
Mr. Jordan and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) both launched bids for the speakership last week after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) triggered a vote to take the gavel from Rep. Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday. Former president and Republican 2024 frontrunner Donald Trump officially endorsed Mr. Jordan’s bid for the speakership on Friday, just hours before the attack on Israel began.
When Fox News host Maria Bartiromo asked Mr. Jordan what his first directive would be if he is selected as the next House speaker, he replied “To help the state of Israel.”
“There’ll be some resolution on the floor to support the state of Israel,” Mr. Jordan continued. “We will consult with [House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul], consult with the Senate, we’ll work with the State Department and the White House. But that is something that I think gets bipartisan, bicameral, full support from the United States government because, again, this is our great friend and great ally, the state of Israel.”
Mr. Jordan described these measures of U.S. support for Israel as “front and center” for his priorities, followed by deciding how to fund the government. A short-term bill to fund the government, known as a continuing resolution (CR), is set to expire on Nov. 17, after which the U.S. government will either need additional funding or it will go into a partial shutdown.
“When we walk out of that room next week, we’ve got to have 218 votes for a Republican speaker and we’ve got to have 218 votes for how we deal with Nov. 17, when the funding bill for the government comes due,” Mr. Jordan said.
Mr. Jordan said he will have the chance to speak with his fellow House Republicans on Tuesday to lay out his plans and priorities if selected as the next House speaker.
NTD News reached out to Mr. Jordan’s office for further comment but did not receive a response by the time this article was published.
Scalise Affirms Support For Israel
Support for Israel could become a unifying message for House Republicans as they consider the next speaker. After the surprise attack on Saturday, Mr. Scalise issued his own statement endorsing continued U.S. support for Israel.
“Make no mistake: The United States will always stand with Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East. They must defend themselves as their citizens are slaughtered by Hamas terrorists,” Mr. Scalise said on Saturday. “They have our full support and our prayers.”
NTD News reached out to Mr. Scalise’s office for further comment but did not receive a response by the time this article was published.
Mr. Gaetz, who set off the race for the next House speaker, has also expressed his support for Israel during an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“What’s going on in Israel right now, it is horrifying, we stand with the people of Israel, Israel has the right to defend itself,” Mr. Gaetz told NBC News, adding that “the actions of Israel are justified and we certainly hope the carnage and death comes to an end as soon as possible.”
The Florida Republican also batted off criticisms that the speakership vacancy left Congress incapable of supporting Israel.
“You say you stand with Israel, you’re ready to defend Israel, and yet you’re completely incapable of helping Israel because you’ve brought Congress to a standstill, a state of paralysis, have you not?” NBC News host Kristin Welker asked.
Mr. Gaetz noted that the United States and Israel are currently under a 10-year memorandum of understanding that allocates about $4 billion in defense spending for the Middle Eastern state every year.
“There is no ask, from Israel, that we are unable to meet because it’s going to take us a few days to pick a new speaker,” Mr. Gaetz said.