The world is becoming a more dangerous place by the minute. Now is not the time for the United States to project weakness, with its leaders divided by petty partisan differences.
Last weekend’s attack on Israel by Hamas militants further demonstrated this point. Without a speaker of the House, Republicans have put the nation in a difficult position, absent the leadership to respond to the president’s request for an emergency funding package for Israel.
As House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, told CNN, “I look at the world and all the threats that are out there. What kind of message are we sending to our adversaries when we can’t govern, when we’re dysfunctional, when we don’t even have a speaker of the House?”
At press time, House Republican leaders were expected to meet privately to decide on a new speaker, although news reports said there was skepticism by some that a decision could be made quickly. We urge them to lay aside squabbles and find a leader who can unite both parties behind major issues of the day. Another drawn out process similar to the one that chose former Speaker Kevin McCarthy would be counterproductive.
We also urge Democrats to join with the Republican majority to rally behind a speaker who could bring credibility to the leadership of the body. The current world situation demands that type of bipartisan leadership, and Democrats hold a pivotal role in potentially helping a majority of Republicans bypass a small group of fringe party members.
We hope by the time you read this the situation has been resolved.
McCarthy was ousted for cooperating with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown at the end of September. The only thing worse than confronting this international emergency without a functioning House would have been to confront it with an entire government that had shut down for a lack of congressional action.
The nation faces another shutdown deadline on Nov. 17. Washington cannot appear to be fiddling with petty partisanship as the world catches fire. It needs to come together on aiding Israel in a conflict that may be lengthy and difficult.
As the world’s only legitimate superpower, and as its largest and most effective democracy, the United States has a long-standing role to play as a beacon and a defense against tyranny and terrorism.
The situation in Gaza has the potential to broaden in troubling ways. Reports published in The Wall Street Journal indicated that Iran had helped plan and approve the weekend attacks against Israel. Israel says it has yet to determine whether this is true, and the Biden administration also has downplayed the reports. If further evidence emerges, the situation could become grave, and the United States needs a fully functioning government to confront whatever comes next.
Many are critical of the executive branch and President Joe Biden’s role in recently freeing Iranian assets in exchange for Americans being held in Iranian prisons, and for the breakdown in U.S. and Israeli intelligence that failed to anticipate the attack.
But the legislative branch of our government is also due criticism for allowing a very small minority of Republican House members to control the speakership when bipartisan work — witnessed by keeping the government running only days earlier — failed to keep leadership in place.
Hamas’ attack on Israel comes at a time when much of the world is focused on the fight between Ukraine and Russian invaders, and amid tensions between China and Taiwan. Each is important to the security, influence and power of the United States abroad.
Congress faces many other important issues in addition to these, not the least of which are border security, immigration and an overspending problem that continues to add to a growing national debt.
The United States needs to project stability, strength and leadership to the world. That requires an ability to rise above pettiness. It requires a functioning House and Senate, and a House led by someone who can grasp the big picture and provide a sense of unity.