The Daily Signal - 9 GOP Lawmakers Running for Speaker, Israel Ground Offensive, SPLC Mute on Hamas Terrorist Attack | Oct. 23

Starting point is 00:00:00 It's Canadian Tire's Black Friday sale. With the lowest prices of the year. Hello, can we go? Limbo again. Shop the Black Friday sale at Canadian Tire and save up to 60%. November 27th to December 7th. Conditions apply, details online. I'm Virginia Allen, and this is the Daily Signal Top News for Monday, October 23rd.

Starting point is 00:00:20 Here are today's headlines. It's a new week, and the race for House Speaker has taken a new turn. There are now nine GOP members running. for the House speakership. On Friday, Ohio Republican Congressman Jim Jordan lost his third vote for Speaker. He lost by a significant margin, only getting support from 112 Republicans, falling far short of that 217 votes needed to win the gavel. During a secret ballot on Friday, House Republicans voted to remove Jim Jordan as the nominee for Speaker. Now, a number of lesser-known Republicans are running for the position. House Republicans will hold a closed-door meeting this

Starting point is 00:01:15 evening to hear from the nine candidates. And those nine candidates include representatives Tom Emmer of Minnesota, Kevin Hearn of Oklahoma, Austin Scott of Georgia, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Byron Donalds of Florida, Dan Muser of Pennsylvania, Pete Sessions of Texas, and Gary Palmer of Alabama. It's likely that Republicans will hold a vote via secret ballot tomorrow on who that next nominee will be, and they may hold a vote on the floor of the House later this week. So stay tuned. We are going to be following that closely here on the Daily Signal podcast.

Starting point is 00:01:57 But in other news on Friday, we learned the Biden administration has proposed a $105 billion national security package that includes spending for both Israel and Ukraine. CNN reports that the package includes $61.4 billion in aid for Ukraine and $14.3 billion in aid for Israel. The Ukraine funding would provide $30 billion for the Defense Department for equipment like munitions and air defense systems and the replenishment of U.S. stockpiles. CNN reports that the package also includes over $14 billion for content. continued military intelligence and other defense support, over $16 billion for economic security and operational assistance, and $481 million to support Ukrainians arriving in America, plus an additional $149 million for the National Nuclear Security Administration for nuclear

Starting point is 00:02:59 and radiological incident response. The $14.3 billion in the Biden administration's aid package for Israel includes 10.6 billion in Defense Department for Air and Missile Defense Support and 3.7 billion for the State Department to strengthen Israel's military and hardened security at the U.S. Embassy. But many GOP lawmakers have made it clear that they don't support tying aid money for Ukraine to aid for Israel. Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona posted on X, formerly Twitter yesterday that Ukraine and Israel aid should not be tied together. Homeland Security Committee Chairman Congressman Mark Green wrote on X that aid to Israel and aid to Ukraine should not be tied into the same package, period. In addition to money for Israel and Ukraine, Biden's

Starting point is 00:03:52 $1.5 billion defense spending package also includes $10 billion for humanitarian aid for Ukraine, Israel, in Gaza, $7.4 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region, and $13.6 billion for security and America's southern border. The package, as it stands right now, will likely face an uphill battle in the House once Republicans do elect a speaker. But speaking of Israel, the nation has been at war for 16 days now. Authorities in Gaza say that 5,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and Israel reports 1,400 people have been killed by Hamas. Gaza's numbers have not been confirmed. And Hamas is still holding more than 200 people, including Americans, hostage.

Starting point is 00:04:44 Israel's ground offensive appears to be imminent, but may be delayed. Part of the reason for the delay is reportedly to allow hostage negotiations to continue. The Biden administration has urged Israel to delay sending large amounts of troops into Gaza until they can reach more Palestinian civilians with humanitarian aid and negotiate the release of hostages. Two American hostages were released on Friday, a mother and a daughter, 17-year-old Natalie Ranon, and her 59-year-old mother, Judith. They were delivered to the hands of Red Cross workers

Starting point is 00:05:19 who then drove them to the border with Israel. They reportedly will be traveling back to the U.S. They spoke to President Joe Biden on the phone after their release per Good Morning America. I just want to say thank you for your services for Israel. Look, that's been long serving. I'm just the like we're able to get you out. We've been working on a long time.

Starting point is 00:05:40 We're going to get them all out, God willing. There, one of the freedwomen says, I just want to say thank you for your service for Israel. And President Biden responds, that's been long serving. I'm just delighted. We're able to get you out. And Biden continued saying that they will, work to get the rest of the hostages out, God willing.

Starting point is 00:06:02 The New York Times also reports that the U.S. wants the ground offensive delayed to allow out more time to prepare for likely attacks on U.S. interests like military bases in the region. Last week, drones were fired at multiple U.S. bases in both Iraq and Syria. For now, it does appear that Israel has delayed the ground offensive, though. Well, here in America, we are watching the war in Israel for. from afar, but we are getting an up-close and personal look at where some of America's leftist institutions stand on support for Israel. Of course, we have seen protests on college campuses in support for Palestine and opposed to Israel. And here at the Daily Signal, we've been

Starting point is 00:06:47 watching to see if the Southern Poverty Law Center would condemn Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel since they call themselves an anti-hate organization. Now, the Southern Poverty Law Center's Labor Union has taken a public stance on Israel's war with Hamas. And here with us to explain exactly what that stance is, is the Daily Signal's Tyler O'Neill, an author of Making Hate Pay. Tyler, thanks for being with us. Hey, my pleasure. So let's talk about what the Southern Poverty Law Center has said. They have taken a stance publicly on the war between Israel and Hamas. What stance have they taken here? So the Southern Poverty Law Center is not taking a stance on Hamas and Israel.

Starting point is 00:07:30 Their union. Their union, right. So I think this is a very important distinction because the SPLC has been mum. And it's weird because it's not like they haven't been posting on Twitter or anything. They've just been talking about Hate Crimes Awareness Month, which did you know that October is Hate Crimes Awareness Month? It's good to know. And you would think that maybe bombing a city would somehow, based on it. down a people's who they are, their religion,

Starting point is 00:07:57 taking hostages, bed and babies. You know, these are things that you think you might mention on hate crimes. You know, the biggest attack on Jews. They killed the most Jews since the Holocaust. Yeah, that doesn't deserve a mention. But the union is very interesting. The SPLC employees were not happy that the SPLC has not made any sort of statement. Interesting.

Starting point is 00:08:21 So the union has come out and saying, oh, well, the people in Gaza are the real victims here. They're facing the beginning of a genocide. And that's what their statement is. And they don't even mention the attacks on Israel. They say nothing about Israel. Yeah, they don't mention at all the fact that this war started with Israeli civilians being rounded up, slaughtered, taken back to Gaza, being held hostage. And they call for a ceasefire.

Starting point is 00:08:49 And it's like, you're calling for a ceasefire when there are hostages. and when people have been, when civilians have been killed. Like this is insane and it makes your blood boil. But this is what the SPLC staff wish the SPLC would say, but the SPLC is staying silent, partially because I think many of their donors would not be happy about this. Well, I do find it interesting because, and you know more about this than I, as you follow the Southern Poverty Law Center so closely,

Starting point is 00:09:21 but the Southern Probably Law Center has called out what they have seen as anti-Semitic behavior in the past, have they not? Yeah, so they have this hate map where they have conservative organizations put alongside the Ku Klux Klan, and they recently put parental rights groups. But they also have a section on that for anti-Semitism. And credit where credit is due, they do call out some anti-Semitism. But they also overlook the vast majority of anti-Semitism that takes place in the name of supporting the Palestinians. And they haven't issued any sort of statement, even though they claim to be an authority on anti-Semitism, at least when it comes to the hate map. They haven't talked about groups like students for justice in Palestine, which have harassed Jewish students on campus. They don't talk about, you know, the rise in anti-Semitism since October 7th.

Starting point is 00:10:19 And this is really galling. I mean, I commented last night, Barry Weiss at the free press, you know, no conservative outlet, they're in the middle, they're very staunchly moderate. They talked about getting vandalized saying F Jews, F Israel. And it's like we're seeing across this country hatred not just against what people, condemn what they say is the occupation of Israel, you know, never mind what the Bible says and how long the Jews have been there before anyone known as a Palestinian was there. But, you know, they, we're seeing people attacking Jews and in Australia chanting gas the Jews after this. Have you reached out to anyone at the Southern Poverty Law Center to see if they have an answer, a reason for why they're either choosing not to comment at all or certainly. taking their time, we're more than two weeks into the war, and still, you know, it's crickets.

Starting point is 00:11:17 They've been silent on it. So, yeah, I've reached out, you know, and many other journalists have been reaching out to them as well. I know it's not just me. But yeah, they haven't responded at all, and they haven't given any sort of justification. I think they think this is something maybe that will blow over and they don't need to comment on it at all. Or they might see it as a lose-lose situation where if they give a really strong statement in support of the Palestinians, they lose a bunch of their donors. If they give a strong statement in support of Israel, they lose a bunch of their staff. I mean, it's kind of like what we're seeing in the White House right now in the administration, where Biden is, at least for now, giving very strong statements in support of Israel.

Starting point is 00:12:01 And you see some people in his administration are very unhappy with this. Some of them have resigned. And many more are speaking off the record, mostly to live. liberal outlets saying like we feel like we're not being listened to. And this, this is something that the left is really going to have to grapple with. Well, Tyler, we certainly appreciate your reporting on it. We'll be sure to leave a link to your full report in today's show notes, but thanks for your time. Thanks, Virginia. Well, we are ending today's show with a little bit of national security news from right here at home in relation to our southern border. On Saturday, we learned that over

Starting point is 00:12:38 3.2 million. Illegal aliens were encountered on America's borders in fiscal year 2023, which ended on September 30th. That is the equivalent to 8,770 illegal aliens being encountered every single day on America's borders. If you do the math, that's five times higher than the daily average in 2020. And multiple records were broken in fiscal year 2023 regarding the number of illegal aliens that customs and border protection encountered. Simon Hankison, he's a senior research fellow for the Heritage Foundation's Border Security and Immigration Center, and he told me that once again, the Biden administration has the distinction of setting a record. Unfortunately, it's historically bad. And he added that not only

Starting point is 00:13:26 our encounters by U.S. agents at the southern border, the worst ever, but northern numbers are also at unprecedented levels two. A record number of illegal aliens were encountered at both the northern and southern borders, and a record number of Chinese and Russian nationals were also encountered at America's borders. We'll leave a link in today's show notes for the full report if you want to dive into those numbers a little bit further. But with that, that is going to do it for today's episode of The Daily Signal's top news. If you've not had the chance, make sure that you check out our morning show.

Starting point is 00:14:01 It's right here in this same podcast feed. Tomorrow morning, I am sitting down with West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrissey to talk about the situation both at our southern border and spending and why President Joe Biden has included in a spending package that has money for border security also has tied aid money for Israel with aid money for Ukraine. Make sure that you catch our conversation in the morning. But with that, that is going to do it for today's episode. Have a great night.

Starting point is 00:14:36 We'll see you right back here tomorrow morning for my conversation with West Virginia Attorney General, Patrick Morrissey. The Daily Signal podcast is brought to you by more than half a million members of the Heritage Foundation. Executive producers are Rob Luey and Kate Trinko. Producers are Virginia Allen and Samantha Asheras. Sound designed by Lauren Evans, Mark Geinney, and John Pop. To learn more, please visit DailySignal.com.

The Daily Signal - 9 GOP Lawmakers Running for Speaker, Israel Ground Offensive, SPLC Mute on Hamas Terrorist Attack | Oct. 23

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