The Daily Signal - Mike Johnson New House Speaker, Israel Delays Ground Invasion, Lew Nomination Advances

Starting point is 00:00:00 I'm Brian Gottstein, and this is the Daily Signal Top News for Wednesday, October 25th. Here are today's headlines. The United States House of Representatives has voted in Congressman Mike Johnson of Louisiana as its next speaker. Republicans unanimously voted for Johnson after weeks of contested voting, following the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California on October 3rd. Johnson won with 220 votes while House of Congress. minority leader Hakeem Jeffries earned 209 votes from Democrats. It's the honor of a lifetime to have been elected as the 56 Speaker of the House, Johnson said Wednesday.

Starting point is 00:00:50 Thank you to my colleagues, friends, staff, and family for the unmatched support throughout this process, he said. Johnson said that he feels a sense of urgency in his new job as Speaker. It's been an arduous few weeks and a reminder that the House is as complicated and diverse as the people we represent, he added. The urgency of this moment demands bold, decisive action to restore trust, advance our legislative priorities, and demonstrate good governance. Our House Republican Conference is united and eager to work, he said. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts congratulated Johnson on his speakership. Despite the unhinged reactions from the swamp and their allies in the corporate media,

Starting point is 00:01:33 House Republicans have proven once again what leadership looks like, Roberts said. Israel has agreed to delay its planned ground invasion of Gaza due to pressure from the United States, according to multiple reports. According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. persuaded Israel to delay an invasion so that U.S. air defense systems can be put in place. We've already killed thousands of terrorists, and this is only the beginning, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised speech on Wednesday. He continued, Simultaneously, we're preparing for a ground invasion. will not elaborate on when, how, or how many. I'll also not elaborate on the various calculations

Starting point is 00:02:17 we're making, which the public is mostly unaware of, and that is how things should be. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby addressed the likely Israeli offensive in a press conference on Monday. It's our view that the Israeli defense forces need to decide for themselves how they're going to conduct operations, Kirby said, when asked if Israel should begin the Gaza invasion whenever it's ready. We're not in the business of dictating terms to them, he said, and we certainly are not going to be in the business here in the White House of previewing any future operations one way or the other.

Starting point is 00:02:53 That would be inappropriate. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted Wednesday to move along the nomination vote of Jack Liu, who was chosen by President Joe Biden to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel. The nomination will now go to the Senate floor for a vote. Lou, who is an Orthodox Jew, made it out of committee on a 12-9 mostly partisan vote. The only Republican who voted for Lou was Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Lou's nomination has been controversial because he was responsible for orchestrating sanctions relief for Iran while he was serving as former President Barack Obama's Treasury Secretary.

Starting point is 00:03:32 A 2018 Senate report found that Lou had, quote, granted a specific license that authorized a conversion of Iran. Iranian assets worth billions of U.S. dollars using the U.S. financial system, end quote. Iran is expected to have had a sizable role in Hamas' October 7th terrorist attack on Israel, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. Quote, Jack Liu is an Iranian sympathizer who has no business being the U.S. ambassador to Israel. The Senate should not confirm him. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton recently said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Starting point is 00:04:07 In a written statement to the Daily Signal on Friday, New York Representative Claudia Tenney, a Republican, explained why Lou was a problematic selection as an ambassador to Israel. Jack Liu has made controversial remarks that have undermined American and Israeli national security interests, Tenney wrote. He is not the best choice to be U.S. ambassador to Israel. However, in this time of crisis, we need an administrator to coordinate U.S. support for Americans and Israelis. she said. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration on Tuesday over the alleged cutting of razor wire that the state of Texas had set up at the southern border. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, and Paxton is suing the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection officials.

Starting point is 00:05:02 By cutting Texas's concertina wire, the federal government has not only illegally destroyed property owned by the state of Texas. It has also disrupted the state's border security efforts, leaving gaps in Texas's border barriers and damaging Texas's ability to effectively deter illegal entry into its territory, the lawsuit says. Paxton has accused the Biden administration of cutting the fence at the border to make it easier for illegal immigrants to get into the country. Paxton case argues that, quote, Texas brings this lawsuit to end this ongoing unlawful practice, which undermines its border security efforts. This court can and should in join the federal defendants

Starting point is 00:05:44 from continuing to destroy and damage private property that is not theirs without statutory authority and in violation of both state and federal law. If you haven't gotten a chance, be sure to check out our morning show right here in this podcast feed, where we interview lawmakers, experts, and leading conservative voices. Join us tomorrow morning for the Daily Signal interview edition.

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Starting point is 00:06:44 Have a great night, and we'll be back with you all tomorrow morning. 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 - Mike Johnson New House Speaker, Israel Delays Ground Invasion, Lew Nomination Advances

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