Top House Republicans are warning their colleagues of possible national security concerns stemming from the chamber’s failure to elect a new speaker that has halted business.
In a joint statement released hours before the House is set to reconvene for its third day of leadership elections, three Republicans who lead the chamber’s national security committees urged their colleagues to back Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid for speaker in order to avoid security risks.
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“The Biden administration is going unchecked and there is no oversight of the White House, State Department, Department of Defense, or the intelligence community,” wrote Michael McCaul (R-TX), Mike Rogers (R-AL), and Mike Turner in a statement. “We cannot let personal politics place the safety and security of the United States at risk.”
All activity in the House has been frozen until a speaker is elected, stalling the chamber from conducting business and delaying members from being sworn in to the 118th Congress. As a result, the trio of Republicans warn their agenda could be upended.
McCaul, Rogers, and Turner endorsed McCarthy’s bid for speaker, pointing to the California Republican’s proposed agenda to investigate the Biden administration on a variety of fronts and undo several policies implemented by the Democrat-led Congress over the last four years.
However, there isn’t much lawmakers can do until they overcome the stalemate arising from the House speaker vote.
Lawmakers new and old are unable to be sworn in to the new Congress until a speaker has been selected. Without being sworn in, members are blocked from doing virtually anything.
Some incumbent lawmakers have reported being denied access to meetings because they no longer have their security clearances, something that won’t be remedied until they are once again sworn in to another term.
“I’m informed by House security that, technically, I don’t have a clearance,” Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) said on Wednesday after being denied a meeting with Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley. “I’m a member of the Intel Committee. I’m on the Armed Services Committee, and I can’t meet in the SCIF to conduct essential business. My point is we have work to do that we can’t do right now.”
Lawmakers are also unable to vote on a new rules package until a speaker is selected, meaning the chamber is technically lawless until further notice. That could pose problems if the speaker vote drags on for much longer, as committees can no longer pay staff members if the chamber cannot pass an approved House Rules package by Jan. 13, according to a letter sent to committee leaders last week.
Members and members-elect will still get paid, though, as House rules dictate the pay period for lawmakers begins on Jan. 3, regardless if the first session of Congress has begun so long as they have filed their credentials with the House clerk.
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House lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene at noon on Wednesday to undergo a seventh round of roll call votes as no nominee has yet garnered the majority vote needed to secure the position. In order to win the speakership, a nominee must garner a majority of present House members — in this case, 218 lawmakers if every member casts a vote.
