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House GOP spirals into chaos as Emmer becomes third speaker nominee dropped in three weeks
Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., has dropped out of the race for speaker hours after being named House Republicans’ nominee.
Emmer won a majority of the GOP Conference on Tuesday morning after five rounds of voting, against six other potential candidates.
But it quickly became clear that he did not have enough support to outright win a House-wide vote. With Republicans’ razor-thin majority, a GOP speaker-designate can only lose four members of their own party to win the gavel without Democratic support.
MEET TOM EMMER, THE GOP MAJORITY WHIP AND NOMINEE FOR HOUSE SPEAKER
At least 25 Republicans said they would not support Emmer in a House floor vote after he won the title.
More GOP lawmakers indicated after the roll call that the conference needed to move on to a new nominee.
“This morning I voted for Rep. Donalds for speaker. Followed by Rep Johnson. Rep Emmer does not have votes to be speaker and I will be unable to support him on the floor,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., wrote on social media platform X.
WHY JORDAN COULDN’T GRAB THE SPEAKER GAVEL AFTER THREE FAILED BALLOTS
Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., called on GOP Conference Vice Chair Mike Johnson, R-La., and Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla., to jump back into the race. Both lost to Emmer earlier in the day.
“This morning, the Republican Conference met to elect a Speaker. I supported Kevin Hern until he was eliminated from the ballot, at which time I supported Mike Johnson,” Rosendale said on X. “Tom Emmer has secured the nomination but no longer has a path to secure 217 votes. It’s time to get back in the room and give Kevin Hern and Mike Johnson an opportunity to get to 217!”
HOUSE REPUBLICANS VOTE TO REMOVE JIM JORDAN AS SPEAKER NOMINEE
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump exerted external pressure against Emmer.
“I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social app. “RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them.”
Emmer is the third speaker-designate House Republicans have had in as many weeks. Congress has been paralyzed since eight GOP lawmakers voted with all Democrats to oust ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the first time in history the House deposed its own leader.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio – two of the highest-profile House Republicans after McCarthy – were both forced out of the race because they were unable to win over the 217 Republicans needed for victory.
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Tim Scott explains why move to go ‘all in’ in Iowa will ‘translate into votes’: ‘Message is resonating’
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., spoke to Fox News Digital about his presidential campaign’s shift of resources to the state of Iowa, and why he believes his campaign is well positioned to make inroads with the evangelical base in the Hawkeye State.
“Iowa chooses presidents and the entire road to the White House starts in Iowa,” Scott told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “I wanted to make sure I anchored myself in a place where I believe our message is resonating. We’re seeing a positive response, which has aligned with my faith-filled message. Personal experience seems to match with the Iowa voters, so it’s just been a really good experience so far, and I look forward to seeing it translate into votes.”
The interview with Scott came a day after his campaign announced he was going “all in” on Iowa and has shifted ad buys from New Hampshire to Iowa, along with staff and nearly all of his other resources.
Scott told Fox News Digital that Iowa is a state “rich in faith” that understands that the “miracle of America is not a miracle, it’s driven by faith.”
2024 GOP CANDIDATE FACED WRATH OF ROMNEY AFTER ENDORSING TRUMP, BOOK SAYS: ‘DIMINISHES YOU MORALLY’
“Our Founding Fathers should be celebrated for founding a country on ideals, the ideal of religious liberty, religious freedom, and a Judeo-Christian principle,” Scott said. “And so having the same perspective and worldview and understanding that the importance of the policy positions that we take or what we’re doing is undergirded by the way we do it. And here in Iowa, I see that that message continues to resonate, and it’s just been a really good alignment.“
The Real Clear Politics average of polling in Iowa shows Scott at 6%, behind former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Scott told Fox News Digital that his focus on Iowa won’t be “attacking” other candidates, but rather on providing a contrast on where he stands on certain issues.
One of those issues is abortion, where Scott said he has “been working on getting the rest of the Republican presidential candidates to join me in a 15-week national limit.” He acknowledged that DeSantis pledged support for that position at the last GOP debate, but pointed out that Haley did not.
Scott also explained his stance that the U.S. should not accept refugees from Gaza and said, “Other candidates decided that was a good idea, but backtracked when the polls changed.”
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James Comer Blows Holes into James Biden’s Explanation for Giving Joe Biden $200K
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Joe Biden: U.S. Committed to ‘Palestinian People’s Right’ to ‘Self-Determination’
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Wisconsin DNR secretary out after 10 months at post
The head of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is resigning next week after spending less than a year leading the agency that has been at the forefront of fights over combating water pollution and hunting wolves.
Adam Payne sent a letter to Gov. Tony Evers on Friday announcing his intention to leave the agency on Nov. 1 and retire next year. Payne called his departure “bittersweet” but said in the letter that he needed to spend more time with his aging parents and support his wife’s role as caretaker.
“I also want to spend more time with our four young grandchildren and focus more attention on my personal health and well-being,” Payne wrote.
WISCONSIN ALLOCATES $402M TO COMBAT PFAS, OTHER WATER POLLUTANTS
Payne was appointed by Evers in December and began leading the agency in January. Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback said Tuesday that the governor will move “expeditiously” to name a replacement.
Payne’s brief tenure was marked by efforts in the DNR to fight pollution from “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, as well as the creation of a new wolf management plan. The DNR board was set to vote Wednesday on the latest plan, which has drawn opposition because it does not set a firm population goal for wolves in the state.
The state Senate passed a Republican-backed bill last week that takes an alternative approach and requires the agency to set a specific population number.
The agency is also working with state lawmakers over how to tackle PFAS pollution. The state budget includes $125 million to address the human-made chemicals that do not break down in the environment, but the Republican plan for how to spend the money has drawn opposition from environmental groups and Democrats who say it undermines a state law that gives the DNR authority to hold individuals accountable for pollution. The bill would prohibit the DNR from taking enforcement actions against some landowners.
WISCONSIN SENATE TO PASS GOP BILL TO SET WOLF HUNTING GOAL
A Senate committee has passed the bill, which could come up for a vote in the full Senate next month.
Municipalities across Wisconsin are struggling with PFAS contamination in groundwater, including Marinette, Madison, Wausau and the town of Campbell on French Island. The waters of Green Bay also are contaminated.
The Senate last week also voted to reject four of Evers’ appointments to the DNR board amid ongoing fights over the wolf hunt and PFAS pollution, but Evers quickly named replacements. The Senate had not yet voted on Payne’s confirmation, but he was able to serve during that interim time.
Payne cited his more than 30 years of public service in his resignation letter, including 24 years as Sheboygan County administrator. He replaced Preston Cole, who led the agency for Evers’ first term in office.
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Manchin backs Lew to serve as ambassador to Israel
Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a key Senate swing vote who faces a tough re-election battle next year, said Tuesday he will support President Biden’s nomination of Jack Lew to serve as U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Lew is running into stiff Senate Republican opposition because of his work to establish the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions during the Obama administration. Former President Donald Trump later withdrew the United States from the deal.
Manchin, however, praised Lew on Tuesday as “an honest and straightforward person throughout his many years in public service” and noted that Lew “has agreed to support pushing to enforce and strengthen sanctions” against Iran.
“I look forward to supporting Jack’s nomination for ambassador to Israel and it’s essential that the Senate act on his nomination quickly so he can go to Israel and get to work immediately,” Manchin said.
With Manchin’s support, Lew’s nomination is expected to win Senate confirmation. Democrats hold a 51-to-49-seat majority.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-Md.) said last week that he is “committed” to getting Lew confirmed as soon as possible.
Manchin hasn’t said whether he will run for re-election in 2024 and has said he will announce his decision at the end of the year or early next year.
Go to Source: Administration News | The Hill
Biden, Saudi crown prince seeking diplomatic efforts to prevent wider Middle East conflict
President Biden and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohamed bin Salman are pursuing diplomatic efforts to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from “expanding” into a broader conflict in the Middle East, the White House said.
Biden spoke with bin Salman on Tuesday about the situation in the region, according to a readout of the two leaders’ call, and “agreed on pursuing broader diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding.”
The pair agreed to “remain in close coordination” as the situation unfolds.
The militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, launched a deadly attack on Israel earlier this month, and Israel responded with strikes against Gaza. The death toll is said to have surpassed 5,000 in Gaza and reached 1,400 in Israel, according to figures shared by the United Nations.
Biden’s call with the controversial Saudi crown prince appears as part of an effort to stem a broader conflict and prevent more unrest in the Middle East.
Along the campaign trail, Biden had called Saudi Arabia a “pariah” after the 2018 murder of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which a U.S. intelligence assessment found had been approved by bin Salman.
The president’s first meeting with the Saudi crown prince in Jeddah sparked controversy last year when Biden greeted him with a fist bump amid concerns about human rights issues. This September, the president met bin Salman with a handshake amid the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi.
Biden suggested on Friday that the Hamas attack on Israel was related to a normalization push and increased diplomacy between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
“One of the reasons…why Hamas moved on Israel, is because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis,” Biden said during remarks at a campaign fundraiser. “Guess what? The Saudis wanted to recognize Israel.”
On their Tuesday call, Biden and the crown prince “affirmed the importance of working towards a sustainable peace” between Israel and Palestine “as soon as this crisis subsides.”
The two leaders also welcomed the delivery of humanitarian assistance into Gaza from Egypt as well as efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, according to the readout. They acknowledged that much more is needed to help civilians in the area.
Go to Source: Administration News | The Hill
DeSantis admin directs Florida universities to terminate student chapters that support ‘Hamas terrorism’
FIRST ON FOX: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in coordination with the chancellor of the state’s university system, has moved to crack down on student groups in the state they say have expressed support for “Hamas terrorism,” which possibly involves terminating the student chapters and suspending school administrators.
“During a holy Jewish holiday, the recognized terrorist organization, Hamas, launched an unprovoked attack on Israel – among those killed were babies, women, and elderly,” Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the State University System of Florida, wrote in a letter to the state’s universities exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.
“To date, approximately 1,400 Israelis have been killed, including 31 American citizens. Governor DeSantis, our State University System and the Florida College System have condemned these attacks.”
The letter states that a student group present in at least two universities in the Florida system, known as National Students for Justice in Palestine (National SJP), published a “toolkit” that refers to the Hamas operation as “the resistance” and says that “Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement.”
FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGE SPEAKS OUT ABOUT TERRIFYING HAMAS CAPTURE, DESCRIBES ‘SPIDERWEB’ OF TUNNELS
The letter explains that it is a “felony under Florida law to knowingly provide material support … to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
“These chapters exist under the headship of the National Students for Justice in Palestine, who distributed a toolkit identifying themselves as part of the Operation AlAqsa Flood,” Rodrigues writes.
“Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated. These two student chapters may form another organization that complies with Florida state statutes and university policies. The two institutions should grant these two chapters a waiver for the fall deadlines, should reapplication take place.”
DESANTIS REFUSES TO BACK OFF DEMAND THAT US REFUSE REFUGEES FROM GAZA
Rodrigues says in the letter that he will continue working with DeSantis’ office “to ensure we are all using all tools at our disposal to crack down on campus demonstrations that delve beyond protected First Amendment speech into harmful support for terrorist groups.”
“These measures could include necessary adverse employment actions and suspensions for school officials,” the letter states, adding, “promoting excellent educational quality while providing a safe environment for all students is paramount.”
DeSantis, a 2024 presidential candidate, has been a vocal proponent of cracking down on and condemning the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7 that killed more than 1,400 Israelis. He recently said he would cancel student visas and deport foreign nationals who celebrate Hamas if he is elected president.
DeSantis is also planning to call for a special legislative session in Florida to increase state sanctions on Iran, the main financial supporter of Hamas.
Additionally, DeSantis allocated state resources to an evacuation operation that was responsible for chartering hundreds of stranded Americans in Israel on flights back to the United States in a move he touted as being more efficient than efforts by the Biden administration.
“We were able to fill the void,” DeSantis said. “There was no leadership. And so we stepped up, and we led.”
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DeSantis, Haley target President Biden over humanitarian aid to Palestinians: ‘Doubly problematic’
Republican presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is spotlighting his opposition to President Biden’s humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
“They were wrong on the humanitarian aid to Hamas because Hamas is going to use that for terrorism,” DeSantis said on Tuesday in an interview with Fox News Digital when asked about the $100 million in humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
The president, in announcing the aid last week, said the funding would help support “over a million displaced and conflict-affected people with clean water, food, hygiene support, medical care, and other essential needs. The United States provides humanitarian assistance through trusted partners, including U.N. agencies and international NGOs.”
After Hamas militants launched a horrific sneak assault on Israel two and a half weeks ago – in which more than 1,400 Israelis were killed in the worst attack on the Jewish state in a half century – Israel responded with relentless airstrikes on the Gaza Strip that have left nearly 5,000 people dead.
CLICK HERE FOR LIVE FOX NEWS UPDATES ON THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
The top contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination – including former President Donald Trump, who’s the commanding frontrunner, DeSantis, former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina – have all been calling out Biden for what they charge is backdoor assistance to Hamas, which aims to wipe out Israel.
“No U.S. tax dollars to the Gaza Strip. Hamas is holding American hostages and Biden wants to fund them?” DeSantis charged last week.
On Tuesday, DeSantis reiterated “you shouldn’t be doing that” regarding the aid, “knowing that Hamas rules the streets.”
2024 DIVIDE: GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES SPAR OVER MIDEAST CONFLICT
Pointing to the over 200 Israelis and some Americans held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, DeSantis said “it’s doubly problematic when they still are holding all these people hostages. So wait a minute. How is it humanitarian to be holding these people hostages? That should have been a precondition before they even discussed anything else.”
“The president has a responsibility to look after Americans, and that includes Americans overseas. And in this case, you need to be engaged in that,” DeSantis said. “Most of what will go on will be things that are not going to be publicized. There’s going to be a lot of things that are going to rely on intelligence. I’d work closely with the Israelis, but I think we both have common interests in this to be able to recover all those hostages.”
DesSantis was interviewed during his latest campaign swing in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar.
Haley has also spotlighted her opposition to the humanitarian aid, noting how easily the assistance could fall into the hands of Hamas.
“Nikki opposes taxpayer dollars for Gaza just like she did when she helped eliminate it at the U.N. The money is too easily diverted to Hamas and is not a good use of tax dollars. Arab countries should step up if they want to help Palestinians as much as they claim,” Haley’s campaign told Fox News.
And in an interview Monday on the Fox News Channel, Haley reiterated “no more money to countries that hate America.”
HEAD HERE FOR LIVE FOX NEWS CHANNEL COVERAGE OF THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
During her tenure as ambassador to the U.N., Haley slashed U.S. funding to Palestinians in Gaza by defunding the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. The aid was later restored under the Biden administration.
“I stopped all U.S. taxpayer money going to the Palestinian refugees when I was at the United Nations. This is something that I always said – the Arab countries, it was their responsibility, not the American taxpayer’s responsibility,” Haley said in an interview last week on Fox News’ “Hannity.”
Scott told Fox News in a statement that “there should not be a single U.S. dollar that risks ending up in the hands of Hamas. The terrorist organization brutally murdered innocent Israelis and dozens of Americans.”
And Scott vowed to take steps “to ensure no future taxpayer dollars make their way into the hands of Hamas.”
Trump has slammed the aid as “totally inappropriate.”
The White House has said the aid will be distributed through the United Nations and non-government organizations. But Hamas has a long track record of seizing assistance funneled through the U.N. or relief agencies.
While the Republican presidential contenders are mostly on the same page in criticizing the Biden administration over the humanitarian aid, they’ve traded blows on other aspects of the Israel-Hamas war.
Most notable is the verbal fireworks between DeSantis and Haley and their campaigns and allied super PACs over whether the U.S. should accept any Palestinian refugees fleeing the fighting.
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