Jerry Roberts
This article is posted in partnership with “Newsmakers with Jerry Roberts”
On Wednesday, Republicans narrowly nominated Rep. Steve Scalise to be the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, but GOP leaders promptly adjourned the chamber because the right-wing Louisiana congressman still lacks the votes to win election to the powerful post.
The instant reaction to the news from Santa Barbara’s Man in Washington, Rep. Salud Carbajal: “Likely continued chaos.”
Salud checked in from Capitol Hill for a conversation with Newsmakers on a day when the U.S. response to the barbaric and murderous surprise attacks by Hamas terrorists against civilians in Israel not only eclipsed the high-stakes intrigue and maneuvering over the second-in-line-to-the-presidency Speakership, but also emphasized the real world peril of political dysfunction that has brought business in the House to a halt.
Fresh from a secret White House briefing about the fast-moving and treacherous Mideast situation, Carbajal said that the Biden Administration would ensure that Israel has “all the resources it needs,” as a new coalition government prepared for an all-out assault on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip; he also ventured that, despite a possible government shutdown looming next month, the turmoil in the House would not impede delivery of U.S. support for Israel, even as Scalise reportedly promised GOP colleagues to lead the blockade of budget approvals, absent implausibly large fiscal concessions by the Administration.
The intersection of intraparty Republican feuding with national security concerns also overhangs continued U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, as it defends itself against a war of aggression by Russia. Opposition to Ukraine aid has become an increasingly popular position among Republicans, since Donald Trump first staked out the pro-Russia stance, but Carbajal asserted that Ukraine still enjoys strong bipartisan majority support in the House and Senate.
Still, Ukraine aid was one of the underlying issues that led to the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week, when every House Democrat voted with eight Republican extremists to “vacate the chair,” the first time in history an incumbent Speaker was voted out during their term.
More seriously, the GOP’s anti-McCarthy faction targeted him for forging compromises with the White House over two crucial economic matters: raising the nation’s debt limit and extending the deadline for congressional approval of appropriations bills to avert a government shutdown several weeks ago.
Significantly, Scalise voted for the extreme position on both matters, raising questions about his willingness to negotiate over budget legislation in advance of a Nov. 17 deadline for passage of appropriations bills to avert yet another threatened shutdown. As a practical matter, Scalise still needs to secure the votes of at least 217 of 221 House Republicans to win the Speakership.
It seems unlikely the House will go back into session unless and until he does.
On other issues we discussed, Carbajal:
- Described the $2.6 million in cash on hand of his 2024 election fund as necessary to finance “a grassroots campaign” for his bid for a fifth term, despite the overwhelming expectation he will enjoy another walkover victory.
- Shrugged off public opinion research that shows a vast number of Americans — 77 percent in the most recent Associated Press survey — believe the 80-year President is too old to serve another term, and insisted that it is a dearth of effective messaging about the Administration’s accomplishments, not Biden’s age, that underpins his poor polling performance in projected match-ups with Trump.
- Asserted there is “strong unity” among House Democrats in “standing with Israel,” despite well-publicized comments by several left-wing caucus members who have called for ending military aid or blamed Israel for the Hamas attacks.
- Surmised that Iran was involved in the planning and financing of the Hamas attacks, because its leaders are longtime patrons of the terrorist group, agreeing with a suggestion that its leaders may view the attack as a way to disrupt recent bids to soften long-hostile relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Iran’s chief rival in the Arab world.
- Touted his proposed legislation to tax energy and other corporations for carbon emissions (Salud sharply objected to our use of the word “tax,” insisting it was a “fee”) and to distribute the money raised to American families to help ease increased costs expected to arise during a proposed to green energy sources.
All this and more, right here, right now, on Newsmakers TV.
You can watch our conversation with Rep. Carbajal via YouTube below or by clicking through this link. The podcast version is here. TVSB, Cox Cable Channel 17, broadcasts our show every weeknight at 8 p.m. and at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. KCSB, 91.9 FM, airs the program at 5:30 p.m. on Monday,.
Hamas caused this with their evil and vicious attack, but Israel is not blameless in any conflict in the region, given decades of occupation and oppression. I think the frustration of many on the far-left is the virtual absence of any support for the innocent people being bombed and starved in Gaza (and now being attacked in the West Bank). We need to support Israel by all means, but we can’t ignore the massive humanitarian crisis their retaliation is causing for innocent and already impoverished and oppressed people.
Deaths of innocent civilians in Gaza (mostly children) is now likely double that of the deaths in the initial gruesome Hamas attack. At what point though, will the US truly try to help those, including American citizens, being maimed and killed by Israeli bombs in Gaza?
After the command to leave northern Gaza, hundreds of thousands fled to the south, some being killed by Israeli airstrikes on the way. Now, in southern Gaza (where they were told to go for their “safety”), they’re being killed by Israeli attacks in Khan Yunis. Out of fuel, running out of water and food with no one able to help them. The humanitarian crisis is becoming catastrophic. The US is rushing troops and ships to the area to assist Israel, but with no plans to air drop or land by sea or push over the border any humanitarian aid to the hundreds of thousands of suffering Palestinians, hundreds being American citizens. Nothing?
I know I’ll get yelled at for this, but we can’t just keep looking at this conflict as a one-sided tragedy.
And by the way, buckle up because a.) this ground war will go for months. b.) It will spark terrorist reprisals in Europe and the United States. c.). There is a real possibility that a second front against Hezbollah, who are better armed and more numerous kicks off, and c.) Tehran is not all that far off from a nuclear weapon which may require pre-emptive strikes by the US and/or Israel to destroy that capacity and delay the program.
So, yeah.
ALEX – for sure this will get bigger and worse, no denying that, and yes, very easily could become “nuclear.” The US needs to insist that civilians’ safety will be prioritized. That means no more white phosphorous shells, no more bombing hospitals and schools, no more air strikes on cities in the south where Israel has told the Gazans to go, no more “siege” on Gaza. It’s in Israel’s security interest to make these efforts as well. How many new Hamas or Hezbollah soldiers are they creating when killing families trying to flee? The war is creating militants on both sides and has been for generations. It will continue until civilians are left alone.
Your other comment is true as well. There is no real desire for peace among the governments of those countries and peoples in the region. I don’t think anything will bring true peace in the Middle East. It’s terribly sad.
When I say one-sided though, I’m also talking about the aid and efforts from our government as well. We’re about to deliver $30 billion in assistance to Israel. Will some be for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza? I hope so. As to helping those in Gaza, what are we doing other than negotiating “safe zones” with Israel? Can we not air drop supplies or somehow deliver food and water by sea?
I am pleased to see the recent focus on the humanitarian crisis among the Administration, but I think we waited too long.
Sac, very few people with a reasonable grasp of the situation look at it as a one sided tragedy. It’s all over mainstream US news. No one who isn’t living under a rock is unaware of what’s happening to the civilians in Gaza.
The reality here is that almost no leadership in the region wants true peace. Not the Israeli leadership because that would mean going against their radical religious extremist base and not Hamas because, well, they are radical extremists. And most importantly, Iran doesn’t want peace. They and the Arab states are more than happy to allow the Palestinians to suffer and die in order to justify their proxy war against the United States and to fulfill their ultimate goal of sparking a region wide ethnic cleansing of Jews and non-Muslims. Unfortunately, Israel has stepped right in to the trap that has been created for them.
Sac, the irony is that there are tons of people on the left who are celebrating the murder of babies and the kidnapping of old women while not understanding that if they themselves were ever within Hamas’ reach they’d be thrown off a fucking building.
The Arab nations don’t give a shit about Gazans or Palestinians, they never have, other than to keep them in their current state as a PR tool.
Sacjon-
Salud needs to study the bloody history of Palestine sine the end of WWII and the establishment of the State of Israel.
You are 100% correct. There is plenty of blood on the hands of both sides.
This is the Balfour Proclimation of 1917 which fathered the establishment ofThe State of Israel in May, 1948.
His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.
One does not have to be a expert on the region to know that the Palestinians have been far from treated “without predjudice”. They suffered ethnic cleansing, the theft of their lands and are now living in a cocentration camp hell in Gaza and continued theft of their land in the West Bank.
Let me quote Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion: “Sure, God promised the land to us, but what does that matter to them? There has been anti-Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault? They only know one thing. We have come here and have stolen their country. No one can deny the victimhood (sic) of the Jews through the ages, but that doesn’t entitle them to take it out on the Palestinians. If I had been a Palestinian, I would wage perpetual war with Israel forever.”
Until the Palestinians have a land and a life, this carnage will inseed last forever!
Yo, I’m no fan of Israel’s policies and their psychotic settlers, but Hamas has been the elected government of Gaza for 15 years. All they’ve done is promote their insane death cult ideology and pilfer every single penny that they could to buy weapons and make war. They’ve had fifteen years to change things, to build infrastructure that frees them from dependence on Israeli whims to create a sustainable economy. That’s not what Hamas wants. The only way that Palestine can ever be free is by first freeing themselves of Hamas, which they have been unwilling to do. Innocent people ruled by evil governments always pay the price and the people of Gaza are paying it now. It’s a tragedy. It’s horrible. Hopefully, the Israeli government will understand that, while they are justified in destroying every Hamas fighter that pokes their head up, after that is done they need to figure out how the Gazans can have a decent future.
“Hamas has been the elected” ….. “freeing themselves of Hamas, which they have been unwilling to do.” As if the people of Gaza have an actual choice. You can’t honestly think it was a free and fair democratic election that put Hamas in power?
If I read this correctly “when every House Democrat voted with eight Republican extremists”, then I should deduce REPUBLICAN EXTREMISTS
= HOUSE DEMOCRAT. Unless it’s that what makes the Republican an extremist is that……. they’re Republicans!! Also implied here is that complete and absolute uniformity is not extremism. Instead 8x radical Republicans creating chaos by bringing a vote to the for THAT COULD ONLY PASS WITH THE SUPPORT OF…… THIS MODERATE PEACEMAKERS, HOUSE DEMOCRATS. So the extremists were unleashed by Democrats aligning with them and now in classic fashion, they’re blaming republican extremists for the chaos. The Democrats aren’t responsible. It just couldn’t have nakedness without their complete support. So, although they aligned with radical REPUBLICAN extremists, they’re not extreme because…… THEY’RE DEMOCRATS.
Thankfully no Democrat differentiated themselves in this particular vote. No one broke rank or thought differently. No they thought, “let’s unleash the chaos. It’s not our fault. It’s theirs,” and that group think mentality makes you…a moderate Democrat. Total uniformity is not extremism……………
But I digress,… By definition, when you agree with extremists, you are…… an extremist.
You totally missed the point. Democrats did not vote with the Republican extremists – the extremists voted with them. The Democrats simply decided to let the Republican majority choose their own speaker, without interference from the minority party, as it should be. And why would a Democrat EVER vote for a Republican leader? Just to save the Republicans embarrassment? Besides, if Scalise or Jordan or anyone else relied on Democratic votes to get elected, do you think that they would be any more successful than McCarthy? The Republican party is a mess, to be sure, but don’t try and blame Democrats.
The chaos is entirely the Republican’s doing. The Democrats agree that McCarthy should not be speaker, but it’s absurd to conclude that that makes them extremists.