The global crisis unfolding in Israel is putting renewed scrutiny on Congress, which has been without a permanent House speaker since Kevin McCarthy was ousted last week.
Hamas on Saturday launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, leaving hundreds dead and escalating a decades-long conflict in the region. President Joe Biden on Saturday said that U.S. support for Israel is ironclad.
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But as an unelected speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry is effectively powerless on the matter. Per House rules, the interim speaker can only act on matters that relate to the election of a new Speaker: gavel in, gavel out, and preside.
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