Moran Minute: Strength and Steadiness is Needed Here and Abroad

As an evangelical Christian, a freedom-loving Texan, and a sitting member of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, the events in Israel these past two weeks are of utmost concern to me. But beyond that, they should concern every East Texan and, frankly, every member of humanity regardless of religion, ethnicity, race, gender, or political affiliation.

I was raised to understand and adhere to the greatest of all the commandments: love God and love each other. What we’ve seen in the past week is, to the contrary, pure hate and pure evil. Hamas is a well-known Iranian-backed terrorist organization whose official charter calls for the “obliteration” of Israel and the Jewish people. This last week has been proof of their commitment to this goal: the beheading of babies, innocent concertgoers raped and slaughtered, desecration of the dead, the elderly, mothers, young women, and children taken hostage, among them a number of Americans. More than 1,000 people systematically massacred, including at least 30 Americans. Make no mistake: Hamas is not a group looking for reconciliation, stability, or peace. It seeks the total annihilation of the Jewish state and the Jewish people. Consider that for a moment, and let that sink in.

We have an obligation to stand with Israel in this moment; to act strategically with strength and steadiness so that these enemies of the U.S. and Israel are overwhelmed and ultimately defeated. I penned a full Op-Ed this past week on my perspective of how the U.S. should respond to the events in Israel. I invite you to read the full text.

To read my full op-ed in the Dallas Morning News, click HERE.

As we continue working through the process to select a Speaker, it may be helpful to look at the history of the position and see how it has grown to become such an influential position in the political sphere.

Article one, Section two of the United States Constitution spells out a broad role for the Speaker of the House: “The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers.” While originally meant to be a mere mediator of House debates, the political scope of the nation’s government expanded, and the Speaker of the House has now come to preside over several major constitutional roles. They are the leader of the House’s majority political party, the national spokesperson for the House of Representatives, the overseer of all business on the House floor and the key negotiator between the House and President. The Speaker is also the third in line for the presidency.

The Speaker typically does this while still representing their home district in Washington, D.C., but one of the most notable features about this position is that the candidate does not actually have to be a member of the House of Representatives. However, in its 234 years of existence, the House has never been led by a non-member of Congress.

On October 3rd, we witnessed the ousting of a speaker for the first time in history. However, this is not the first time that members have tried using a “motion to vacate.” In 1910, House Democrats and a small group of Republicans attempted to remove then-Speaker Joseph Cannon from power. Through some strategic maneuvering, this coalition stripped Speaker Cannon of several major authorities, and in retaliation, Speaker Cannon forced the hand of opposition, stating that he could only resign or start a process to “declare a vacancy in the office of Speaker.”[1] He chose the latter, and by filing the first motion to vacate, Speaker Cannon forced his fellow Republican party members to decide whether or not they supported him or if they would side with the opposing party. The motion was defeated, and Cannon survived as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Since 1910, there have only been two other times when a motion to vacate has been filed – the only successful attempt being the vote on removing Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The Speaker’s race should be more about leadership and the institution itself than it is about the personality of the person who ends up holding the gavel. The Republican Conference needs to come to unify around a true leader that will work to address the important issues at hand. Without a Speaker, we cannot pass legislation to enhanced border security, restore fiscal responsibility, support Israel’s response to the most devastating attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, or respond to emergencies at home. No matter who the Speaker may be, we need to organize and do what we were elected to do – serve the American people. It is my hope that my colleagues and I can come together quickly, elect a speaker, and get back to work.

What percentage of Texas is desert?

Less than 10 percent