State Department spokesman Ned Price has said the continued absence of a House speaker could have national security implications.
“Well, of course over time those concerns—concerns on the part of the members themselves, or the members-elect themselves—will be compounded,” Price said during a press briefing on Jan. 5.
“The first few days of any congressional term usually is spent on procedural elements like this, but of course, if this continues on, there will be additional concerns,” he added. “I’m sure we will hear additional concerns from the Hill as well.”
House lawmakers began voting for a new speaker on Tuesday, but after 11 rounds no one has secured the required 218 votes to clinch the top House job.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has failed to win over a group of conservatives to get the needed votes, while Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has received the votes of all the House’s 212 Democrats on every vote.
In the 11th ballot, which was held on Thursday evening, McCarthy picked up 200 Republican votes, while Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) received 12, and Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) got seven. Former President Donald Trump earned one vote, from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).
Price noted that Congress has indispensable functions, namely oversight, appropriations, and authorization.
“We want to hear their voice in our foreign policy. We want to ensure that our foreign policy has bipartisan support wherever we can,” Price added. “We want to ensure that in the formulation of our policy we’re taking into account the prerogatives and the perspectives of members of both chambers of commerce.”
But now, he added, it has become “much more difficult to do that when there is not a seated House of Representatives.”
Price added he didn’t expect the voting process to drag on for too long.
“The process is playing out, and I expect—we can all expect—at some point before too long the process will conclude,” he said.
Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) concurred with Price’s concerns on Thursday.
“The lack of a House speaker is a national security issue,” Crow wrote on Twitter. “Members of the House Intelligence and Armed Services Committees aren’t receiving classified briefings or conducting oversight of NatSec agencies.”
“Republicans must end the chaos!” Crow added.
McCarthy
Price’s concerns about the stalemate having an impact on U.S. national security are also shared by some House Republicans.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), and Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio)—the incoming chairs of the Intelligence, Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs committees, respectively—issued a joint statement on Thursday, saying the delays in choosing a speaker will put “safety and security of the United States at risk.”
“The Biden administration is going unchecked and there is no oversight of the White House, State Department, Department of Defense, or the intelligence community,” the three lawmakers wrote. “We cannot let personal politics place the safety and security of the United States at risk.”
The trio added that they supported McCarthy’s agenda, which “outlines a stronger approach to countering China, a plan to investigate the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, and how a Republican majority will hold this administration accountable.”
In November last year, McCarthy announced that he will set up a select committee on China if he becomes the speaker of the House.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s [CCP’s] lockdowns have imprisoned people against their will—many have died. As Chinese citizens bravely protest, Joe Biden & the corporate class shrug,” he wrote on Twitter in November.
He added, “Our Select Committee on China will do what Biden refuses—finally reckon with the pariah that is the CCP.”
A month later, he announced that he will name Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) as chairman of the select committee.
“The greatest threat to the United States is the Chinese Communist Party,” Gallagher stated following McCarthy’s appointment. “The Select Committee on China will push back in bipartisan fashion before it’s too late. Even in divided government, we have an opportunity to build a united front against CCP aggression.”
Earlier last year, McCarthy said he aimed to “expose the truth behind China’s COVID Coverup,” when Republicans had the majority in the House.
China
Rep. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.) and Rep. Scott Franklin (R-Fla.), both having voted for McCarthy, pointed to China as a reason that the hold-up should be resolved quickly.
“Due to a few members blocking our Speaker, we can’t form committees that establish free trade agreements,” Miller wrote, responding to how Ecuador had just reached a free trade deal with China.
She added: “This chaos is forcing our allies into China’s hands. While some view this delay as a sign of strength, our adversaries are preying on our division.”
Franklin listed six things that House Republicans could do instead of “continuing this pointless fight over the Speakership.”
“Standing up the Select Committee on China to halt the CCP’s malign influence,” Franklin wrote.
Other items on his list include: “Investigating the Biden administration’s MANY failures and scandals,” “Putting a stop to the administration’s plan to hire 87,000 IRS agents,” and “Addressing our border crisis and ending the flow of fentanyl and crime into our communities.”
On Thursday evening, the House voted to adjourn until 12 p.m. ET on Jan. 6.
Frank Fang is a Taiwan-based journalist. He covers US, China, and Taiwan news. He holds a master’s degree in materials science from Tsinghua University in Taiwan.
