Newly-minted Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., hinted that the House may change the motion to vacate rule but several of his Republican colleagues aren\u2019t behind the idea.<\/p>\n
Johnson mentioned to Fox News\u2019 Sean Hannity on Thursday night that he thinks the House is \u2018going to change\u2019 the one-member threshhold to introduce a motion to vacate \u2014 the parliamentary mechanism that brought about ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy\u2019s ouster.<\/p>\n
But at least two of Johnson\u2019s House Republican colleagues resist the idea of changing the rule.<\/p>\n
Indiana Republican Rep. Jim Banks, who is running for Senate, told Fox News Digital that the House GOP is behind Johnson, but there\u2019s no reason to change the threshhold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018The House Republican conference trusts Mike Johnson and that\u2019s why he received unanimous support on the House Floor,\u2019 Banks said.<\/p>\n
\u2018I don\u2019t see any reason for him to change the rule,\u2019 he continued.<\/p>\n
Georgia Republican Rep. Austin Scott \u2014 who ran twice for House speaker amid the caucus\u2019 gavel fight \u2014 told Fox News Digital that he hoped his colleagues learned a lesson from the eventful past few weeks so a rule change \u2018wouldn\u2019t be necessary.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018I would hope that the members learned their lesson and changes wouldn\u2019t be necessary, but right now, we don\u2019t have time to deal with rule changes,\u2019 Scott said.<\/p>\n
The lawmakers\u2019 comments come after Johnson\u2019s first interview as House speaker with Hannity on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Johnson said that the U.S. stands firmly behind Israel, while back at home, lawmakers and the Biden administration alike must find common ground and acknowledge \u2018God is not done\u2019 with America yet.<\/p>\n
Johnson told \u2018Hannity\u2019 the House is primed to proffer a $14.5 billion support bill for Israel, slightly more than what the Louisiana Republican said Israel \u2013 via the White House \u2013 has asked for.<\/p>\n
However, a key difference between the House appropriation and other federal support is that the money will come in exchange for \u2018pay-for\u2019s\u2019 in the budget, rather than simply printing the money.<\/p>\n
Johnson said the figure is a \u2018very specific number tied to very specific measures,\u2019 and that each dollar should be offset by a cut elsewhere.<\/p>\n
In terms of potential U.S. military involvement in Israel\u2019s fight for survival against Iran-backed Hamas, Johnson said he is hopeful to avert a boots-on-the-ground situation, but added that during a White House meeting Thursday he reminded President Biden\u2019s staff that they have limited ability to directly respond without congressional approval.<\/p>\n
The Founding Fathers, he said, envisioned a \u2018multitude of wise counsel\u2019 in such matters, which is why Congress has the power to declare war, not the executive branch.<\/p>\n
Johnson added that he previously met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and agreed that while Americans talk of \u2018existential threats\u2019 stateside, Israel faces one or more daily.<\/p>\n
\u2018Their neighbors want to eliminate them,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
\u2018America will back [Netanyahu] up \u2013 they tell us when we\u2019re in Israel the reason we\u2019re able to sustain ourselves and survive is because everybody knows our big ally is America,\u2019 Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Fox News Digital\u2019s Charles Creitz contributed reporting.<\/p>\n