While the impetus on Republicans to pick a new speaker escalated after the terrorist attack in Israel over the weekend, the House GOP conference remains bitterly divided over how it should proceed – and who can get the 217 votes needed to lead it. Republicans are preparing for the prospect that neither House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana nor House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio can get the votes to be elected speaker, leaving the conference with no clear path forward. In some corners of the conference, there was a push to quickly settle on a speaker. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Mike McCaul called for a new speaker by Wednesday to avoid appearances of weakness and dysfunction amid war in Israel. Until a new speaker is selected, the House can’t pass legislation to address the crisis, McCaul noted.

---

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, They’re, McCarthy, “, ” Scalise, Derrick Van Orden, ”, Max Miller, Steve Womack, GOP appropriator, ” Womack, Jordan, Cory Mills, who’ve, Chip Roy, Texas, –, Mike McCaul, McCaul Organizations: CNN — House Republicans, GOP, Republicans, CNN, Florida Republican, Foreign Locations: coalescing, Israel, Louisiana, Ohio, Scalise, Jordan, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Florida