Dear John,

Welcome to your Weekly Wrap, a recap of the week in Congress and highlights of my work. 

For months, we have witnessed the inability of the House Republican majority to govern. The division in the Republican conference has led to a failure to pass any substantial legislation and a greater appreciation for bipartisan collaboration.

Last week, the chaos of their conference came to a climax in the worst possible way. 

On Monday, Rep Matt Gaetz (FL01) introduced a motion to vacate the chair. The ability of one person to introduce such a motion was negotiated into the rules package during McCarthy’s fifteen rounds of speaker votes back in January. It is worth noting that this motion was only invoked because Democrats overwhelmingly voted to keep the government open. On Tuesday, the House voted and passed the Motion to Vacate the Chair, removing Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House of Representatives. This is the first time in the history of this institution that a Speaker has been removed in this manner. Following the motion to vacate, Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry adjourned the House for an entire week so that the Republican party could decide on nominations for a Speaker. We return today and votes are expected to resume on Wednesday for the next Speaker of the House. 

The House now has less than 38 days to elect a new Speaker and pass the remaining appropriations bills to keep the government open. The Speaker Pro Tempore is only an interim position and does not have the authority to conduct official business, meaning the House is stalled until a new Speaker is selected. 

I am eager to find bipartisan collaboration whenever and wherever the opportunity exists to the benefit the American people. We must get the government working and address the issues of our time. 

The urgency of this moment was further amplified as we learned of the horrific developments in Israel. I strongly condemn the violent terrorist attacks by Hamas and will continue to support our Israeli allies and their right to defend themselves. My prayers are with the families and all who are affected.

Thank you for taking the time to read this update. As always, please continue to share your thoughts and priorities with me. 

Jahana Hayes

Member of Congress