Steve scalise, the man elected by the Republican Caucus to be the next speaker but was short of the votes to do so as just announced, apparently, inside the republican conference, that he is withdrawing his name from the speakership. We dont know why, other than the whip count a vote against him within the Republican Caucus today and ballooned to 16 or 17 votes. People were saying he could not get to 217 either to be elected Speaker Of The House. This comes a week and a half after mccarthy was deposed, successful with eight members voting i along with all the democrats. Theres been a speaker pro tem, Patrick Mchenry since then, serving in a custodial fashion. This is all totally unprecedented in american history. We havent had this before. Its 100 years since we had a motion to vacate the chair. Amidst an unfolding global crisis, the second in line to the president and Constitutional Office of Speaker Of The House remains vacant, with no clear path for this house Republican Caucus to rally behindanne for an election. I believe we have ali but hallie joining us. Hallie, i just learned about this before i went to air. What is going on . I literally just learned about it before you went to air. This is all happening in real time here. We were confused when republican said theyre gonna notice a 7 30 meeting. There was no real reason why they would do that. It wasnt clear that scalise had moved any of the members. They said they would never vote for him. It turns out that on his way into the meetings that he was going to have more conversations. We will hear what those conversations were. But it turns out that in the room he said he was dropping his bid for speaker, aware of the fact that he was going to be shy of the 217 votes that he needed. What is important here, on the one hand, its back to the Drawing Board board for the rest of the Republican Congress now because they have to go back, likely Behind Closed Doors, do another secret speaker election, see if they can get consensus at that point, and then try to bring it back to a more public for vote. We never even hit that phase with scalise. But there are still going to be people who are jockeying for this, including the man who was scalises official challenger in this round of the speakers race, congressman jim jordan. He is someone who had thrown his support behind scalise, but he never lost support from some die hards within this conference. I do have to say, though, i dont think it matters who the person is. They are all going to have an immensely difficult road getting into the magic number that they need to actually become speaker. And my conversations with members earlier today, when they did about three hours of basically an airing of grievances Behind Closed Doors, some of them apparently in that meeting even joked they dont even think jesus could get 217 votes in this conference. As much as that is hyperbole in a punchline, im not sure theyre wrong. It is an immensely difficult conference to herd these cats within every single vote, counts every individuals concern or question counts and thats what makes it so difficult and its why Kevin Mccarthy had such a hard time back in january. We should note, again, when you have four votes to spare in the caucus, and youre expecting a Party Line Vote because youre elected by the entire house, you may get six or seven people who are knows, who have mutually exclusive asks. Its one thing if theres a block that says we are a hard no and we want these three things. If theyre all over the map, its not even like theres a negotiation you can do. Exactly. Its not like youre going conference by conference, caucus by caucus and saying okay moderates want x, the Freedom Caucus want why. How do we put those two things together . No, scalise and whatever comes after have gone literally individual member by individual member. Its not only inefficient but it also means that some of these asks are going to come in conflict with each other you cant please everyone. Then you have to figure out, are you appeasing enough people to lose the people that cant get on board . Its a balancing act. Its one that most members that ive been in touch with for the last two weeks or so, up through the motion to vacate and even now as they try to pick who comes next, there is not a clear consensus within this conference. Even when matt gaetz was threatening, im gonna do a motion to vacate, the open question we had was, okay, if not mccarthy, then who . There was no clean answer then and theres no clean answer now. For some americans this might seem inside baseball are not important to their life, but when you look at the larger geopolitical landscape right now, this is at the core of the way the house functions. Yes, its in the line of succession for the presidency. You mentioned that. But its also the way they can do as little as condemn hamas for what happened in israel and that most of sending military and humanitarian aid israel. Those are key priorities here. But they are effectively unable to do any governing whatsoever because they cannot decide who the Speaker Of The House is going to be. Important point there. I will note that Speaker Elections happen in the entire house. In other state houses there have been deals cut to get to some consensus, trying to party lines. I dont think anyone wants to do that now. One imagines of might be some conversations along those lines are longer this goes. There does have to be a speaker soon, because the business of governing has to happen. Thank you very much for doing that. Yes, of course. Were gonna have more on that a little bit, but i speak with senator cory booker, but first of all Antony Blinken was in tel aviv. He spoke in a joint Press Conference with israeli Prime Minister benjamin netanyahu. In his speech, blinken, who stepfather survived the holocaust, evoked his jewish heritage and a message of solidarity with the jewish people. I come before you not only is the United States secretary of state but also as a jew. I understand, on a personal level, the harrowing echoes of hamass massacres carry for israeli jews. Indeed, for jews everywhere. Hamas has only one agenda. To destroy israel and to murder jews. Secretary blinken also toured a Donation Center for victims of this weekends hamas attack. He had an emotional meeting with one of the survivors of the Music Festival in Southern Israel that was the target. First priority, our friends and family that are now in gaza. We were strong here. We are powerful here, in this place, in tel aviv, and everywhere. What [applause]. Think you very much. Were thinking of villain doing everything we can. They believe hamas has taken over more than 100 hostages and the white house confirmed there are americans among them. Today the state Department Said that at least 14 americans are unaccounted for after saturdays attack. That is in addition to at least 27 who were murdered. United nations also says that 12 of Asylum Workers in gaza have been killed off since saturday, under the intense israeli bombardment. Steve galen, a Top State Department hostage negotiator, traveled to israel with Secretary Blinken. He will stay behind when the rest of the u. S. Envoy returns home so that it can keep working to free the hostages in what is certain to be incredibly fraught and dangerous difficult process. All that is happening, the Israeli Military called up 360,000 reservists for duty in anticipation of a potential ground defensive. The countries ll will bring additional reservists on saturday in spite of being the sabbath. Told reuters, quote, everyone is coming. You know what to say no. This is different. This is unprecedented. Also in preparation for a Ground Invasion of gaza, the u. S. Has been attempting to broker talks between egypt and israel to establish a corridor to provide safe passage for Palestinian Civilians fleeing gaza. Egypt has rejected those proposals, according to senior egyptian official speaking to the associated press. Talks are still ongoing to establish Crossing Point to bring aid and fuel into gaza. Today leadership at the Senate ForeignRelations Committee announced intentions to introduce a bipartisan resolution affirming u. S. Support for israel when the Senate Reconvenes next week. That he is in addition to plans for a supplemental funding bill to send additional military aid to the country. Any such bill would likely originate in the house of representatives. As ally noted in the top of the show, thats not possible right now. The house cannot pass an israeli aid package. It cant pass any bill for that matter because right now there is no Speaker Of The House, nor are there any serious prospects for one. As republicans fire the last cry more than a week ago, and have since descended into total nonfunctional chaos. Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs committee speaking even before scalise withdrew, just moments ago. This is starting to get impatient what we need to fill the chair with a speaker. Every day that goes by a gets more dangerous. I was on the phone for with our friends from israel. Theyre going to get supplemental in aid to replenish the iron dome. They cant do that if we dont have a speaker. I see a lot of threats out there, but the biggest one i see in the room. Its very dangerous what were doing. And i just wanted them to know that. Were playing with fire. House republican dysfunction almost pales in dysfunction in comparison to an ultimate crisis and leadership put forward in the next president of United States last night. If the election wasnt rigged, there would be nobody even thinking about going into israel. Then there was the inevitable attack, four days later, which i predicted. And then two nights ago i read all of bidens security people. Can you imagine National Defense people, and they said gee, i hope hezbollah doesnt attack from the north, because thats the most vulnerable spot. I said wait a minute. Hezbollah is very smart. Theyre all very smart. Ill never forget that [applause] be the netanyahu let us down. That was a terrible thing. I will say that. So when i see sometimes the intelligence, you talk about the intelligence or you talk about some of the things that went wrong over the last week, they have got to straighten it out because they are fighting potentially a very big force. Theyre fighting potentially iran. With keeping in mind how close we came to that man who praised hezbollah militant on Live TelevisionLive Television, want to credit for the attack. Its worth keeping in mind he will likely be the republican nominee for president , and we may come to that possibility again. Cory booker is a democrat of new jersey, serves on the Foreign Relations committee. Last saturday he was in israel when the hamas attacks began. This is his first interview since returning to the United States. Good to have you here. Good to be with you in person again. Let me just start because you just learned, as i, did that Stephen Steve scalise has withdrawn. Its not your house, but its the United States house of representatives. To the point that michael mccaul, the statement made this is a problem. We are in crisis right now in the country. If important issues we should be dealing with, resolutely, supporting the effort of ukraine, resolutely standing with israel. Helping to aid in their defense protection citizens and evacuation of americans from gaza israel. There are many important issues, not to mention funding the government. So to have this level of dysfunction amongst House Republicans and especially a number of small group of rightwing folks who are undermining the functioning of government, this is very problematic at a terrible time going on in our world right now. You were in israel on that saturday when the hamas massacre happened in the south. You are also in the region, i believe, after that, if im not mistaken. What is your take away back here, having been in the region at a moment of such an awful crisis. I was going there on a mission, because there is a Pathway To Peace and it opened up to the abraham accords. I went there to be with palestine palestinian, leaders israeli leaders, and to continue in the region with people who believe. As mbs said in a interview on fox, there is a Pathway To Peace with the palestinian pillar being a key. Palestinian leaders for the first time were having, and facts doggies came 67 for the first time to the west bank to begin with palestinian leaders on the Pathway To Peace. So here you have this Terrorist Organization who is whose very charter doesnt say the destruction of israel. The charger is hit harassed. They want to destroy jews. Launching missiles. Before this i got here early. Its a very important holiday for me personally. Its been about 30 years since the christian ive been studying torah and really engaging in a face that me so much to me. I danced with the tour the night before these attacks, sat and had shot dinner with friends, two of them who have lost family members. Family members are slaughtered in the kibbutz. The other, i had a nephew who is called up to defend folks. And he was killed in defending lives, innocent lives. This is an isis like organization. Whats worse for the palestinians to hamas has murdered and kidnapped palestinians, has brutalized its own people, and what is interesting about their pattern right now, known throughout everybody i talked about, talked with in The Middle East, from journalists to Business People to members of government, they all know hamass mission is to stop peace. And at the very moment that a Pathway To Peace open up that you heard from the saudis, from the emeratis, from folks in bahrain who understood that we had an opportunity here for a two state solution. Hamas, terrorists, isis like, hitler like folks who hate jews and want to kill them, opened once one of the worst Terrorist Attacks over the last 50 years. In terms of the peace process, there was lots of weird being sent that there was a move towards saudi and israeli normalization, which of course would be an enormous change. One of the criticisms ive heard, and this is independent of hamass motives, which i cant really divine, is that it was an attempt to bypass the peace with palestinians. This idea that you would lock in normalization without resolving the enormous problem of 2 Million People living in a penal colony and the occupation of the west bank. Thats completely wrong. Im one of the founding members of the abraham accords. Ive been very involved in a lot of these diplomatic work. I should be on a plane and about a week with republicans, a small group of us, going to saudi arabia to continue these talks because we cannot let these terrorists, this isis like, not to like people when, and were going to i stayed in the region. I just came back today because i didnt want to derail it. From americans to arabs in the region, everybody wants to continue this pathway. And centered in it, as the leader of saudi arabia said on fox news, centered in this has to be a pathway back to the two state solution. An irrevocable pathway back to the two state solution. My conversations with Senate Democrats and senate republicans, before this, the State Department agreed this had to be about peace. At the very moment when you hear arab leaders openly discussing an opportunity for peace, an organization founded to kill jews, who, after the also accords, 2014, when arafat and robbyn get the nobel peace prize, and theres a Pathway To Peace, what does hamas do . They go after israelis. They bomb buses. They target civilians. And then they use their own people as Human Shields, as israel exercises its right to self defense, hoping that the sympathy that they could maybe bring about by the people they are endangering could somehow undermine support for a peace process. What we are seeing is this again. And thats why the debate in america should not be a debate. We should have Crystal Clarity to support israel and to call out the snazzy ices like folks who are Targeting Civilians with an attempt not just here and murdered jews, not just to kill and hes palestinians as Human Shields, not just to target, remember, there are also nepalese, argentinians, americans, killed and held hostage through this. We have to continue the pathway towards peace and human rights for israelis and palestinians. We could talk about the sort of Human Shields and attempting to curry favor and public opinion, again, the moral responsibility for what happens in gaza, i cant even begin to debate whose fault it will be. All i know is that there are 6000 bombs that have been drops, according to Israeli Defense forces. Thats more than a amounts on raqqa and moscow, when we were a bombing isis at the highest ortiz we ever did. What do you say to people who say there are millions of civilians there, what are we doing as the u. S. . First of all, im in talks today about creating a humanitarian corridor. There are americans in gaza right now, there are children and innocent suffering. Were going to continue as americans to do everything we can to create a humanitarian corridor. These are, again, terrorists. Targeting civilians. Israel is a democracy, and democracies are stronger when they abide by the rule of law. President biden said that publicly, we try to minimize casualties, and that is something that we all can call on israel as they exercise the right to self defense, to do Everything Possible to minimize loss as these cowards and terrorists are using Palestinian People as Human Shields. It is awful. We need to do Everything Possible to help them minimize that damage. To me there should be no confusion about this for americans. And ill say this not just as a United States senator. Not just as a patriot who die for my own country. I would say this is blackmail. When youre Black In America you understand your vulnerability within the country you love, i saw it as an adult, on january 6th, the people that stormed the capitol talked to Capitol Police for african americans. They had signs of hatred. Confederate flags. The vicious racist things they were saying to Capitol Police officers. But side the symbols of hate towards Black Americans were shirts like camp auschwitz shirts. Hate has an indiscriminate infection. This is why as an american, as a black american, i will always stand against hate and stand with the people who are targets of hate. Just like the nazi ones, who didnt just destroyed tuesday, destroyed gay people, gypsies. I will stand with people who are targets of hate. Hamas, like the nazis and isis, are people who live in hate. I stand with jews, with muslims, with gay folks, with people right now who all have a common cause, to stand against hamas because hamas isnt indiscriminately hateful people who do not want peace. They want to destroy others and stop us from having. This is not complicated, america. It is not complicated. We all must denounce hate and those people who use hate to destroy. That is hamas. I am worried right now. Im worried about rising antisemitism in the United States. I lead with three other senators, bipartisan, to call for more resources, because hate is indiscriminate, in its efforts. The same hate killed blacks in a church in South Carolina where, the same people wielding the same hate that killed in the synagogue. So we all need to take an understanding. Everyone has a responsibility to condemn the hatred of this isis nazi like hamas, and do everything we can to try to get us back to fees, to affirming if youve been rights for all people in that region, and again, the protection of this country and this countrys targets of hate. I think, again, if you could wave a magic wand to get rid of hamas, i think people would take that. I want folks to know, when i travel to these other countries, they all know what kind of Organization Hamas is. I was almost lectured to by leaders and other arab countries, just over the last few days, about how horrific hamas is, the awful things they have done to palestinians. Arab countries know how dangerous ambitious this organization is. This is my frame of reference, so its an american context. After 9 11 the u. S. Had justification to go after the taliban. They were holding out they just murdered 3000 of our fellow citizens. We did. 20 years later, the taliban, which i think is a hateful organization, it stands for hateful things, is in power in afghanistan. 20 years later. After trillions of dollars, after Tens Of Thousands if not hundreds of thousands of lives. I guess my caution is, to people are looking at this and saying, is there a solution on the other end of whats about to happen militarily here, who have watched that 20year trajectory . So this is why ill be back on a plane into The Middle East and hopefully saudi arabia very soon. Its because we believe in freedom and human rights cant let these hate mongers when, and the strength of that is when you create multi faith, multi religious, Multi National coalitions that can help usher folks to peace. The Palestinian People need their own state, their own human rights. Israeli people who have from the very second of their founding have been attacked, we cannot give up on the hope. I give people this sense of hope. When i go after, when i leave israel, over the l and the bridge, and i go from jordan to the uae, to bahrain, the growing commitment in that region to normalizing with israel, the commitment you see with a saudi leader on fox news saying, every day we get closer to normalizing israel, with the understanding that i have unequivocally that the palestinian rights and their own state should be a core principle to that, that is something we have not seen. Even after the oslo accords, we have not seen. For all these people who want to do this reductionist both sidesism, no, we need to join and focusing our attention on the people who to this day, there are still rocket alarms going off in israel who are trying to frustrate efforts to piece with a proven track record of killing palestinians, of violating the rights of palestinians, and killing citizens of multiple nations who right now are holding people. 100, maybe. For more. Multiple nations, multiple faiths, holding them captive. We know who the enemy is here. The people who believe in peace and human rights and security after double down in their efforts to join in this condemnation of the ice is like organization, but more importantly, its not about israels right to self defense to unequivocally which i unequivocally support, but its about pursuing viable pathways in partnership with others for peace. Israel has to stop what is going on right now with this hateful organization. Ill do everything i can for humanitarian corridors and more, but i will never give up on the ideas of peace, two state solution, and protecting of civilians against a specter of hate that we have seen for generations in this war. Youve been jen very generous. Senator cory booker, thank you for being here. Well be right back. Well be right back. As you may be, by the intrusions of religion into our secular government. Thats why im asking you to join the freedom from Religion Foundation, the nations largest and most effective association of atheists and agnostics working to keep state and church separate, just like our founders intended. Please join the freedom from Religion Foundation today. Ron reagan, lifelong atheist, not afraid of burning in hell. Get help reaching your goals with j. P. Morgan wealth plan, a digital money coach in the chase mobile® app. Use it to set and track your goals, big and small. And see how changes you make today. Could help put them within reach. 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Its really monitor and outs today its dropped as, omission before, 6000 bombs on gaza. To put that in context, according to former United Nations comes investigator israels dropping in less than a week what the u. S. Was dropping and afghanistan in a here, a much smaller and much potentially populated area where mistakes are going to be magnified. Gazis more than 2 million residents now have no elantra city. Theyre running out of food and water under a total blockade. All of this while it appears were about to enter even more dangerous stage of the war, with israeli tanks approaching the Gaza Border Today in anticipation of an anticipated current investigation. Elliott ville she has been reporting live all week and joins me now from the town of ashkelon. You have been doing amazing work every day there, who have you been talking to today . Where in ashkelon, which is south of ashdod. Im two and a half miles from the gaza border, right that way. We have been hearing, i was just saying to a colleague before i came on air, we have been quiet for the last half an hour, 40 minutes. Prior to that, we were hearing multiple missiles pitting gaza. It just feels like its accelerated and the last few hours a great deal. As far as we know, the current assault hasnt started. Part of the issue is i think israel might be developing strategy, or trying to figure one, out how best to get these hostages out. There are between 100 and 150 of them. A few more than 100 families have been confirmed their loved ones or confirmed to be taken by hamas. They dont seem to know where they are or what shaped their. And there are some families who have loved ones who are missing, who they believe to be hostages. And one of those as the family of that woman and vivian silver, from winnipeg, canada. Shes lived for decades on a kibbutz right here by the gaza border. She was a peace activist, and is a Pace Activist and a sort of reconciliation expert. She works with gossip women, helping reconcile their differences. She helped people get health care as that would come into israel to do so, because advanced health care they dont have facilities for in gaza. Her son, believes shes a hostage. Theyre not 100 sure, but yesterday i got a chance to go inside her home and have a look. She was russi relieved to see her money wasnt there. He hopes shes a hostage, but hasnt received a call from the idf to say she is. This is how hes reconciling this. Hes really struggling with what hes supposed to think, given his mother is a piece activist and wouldnt want violence. Heres what he told me when i asked him about her. My community is wiped out. Its and comprehensible. And it was very vicious. Viciously done. But thats the point. Thats the point. The only way to be safe is to have pace. Its a sign, were going to wipe up gaza. Now kids will grow up, in 50 years it will happen again. It was channeling, i was asking him what his mother might have said if i were interviewing her instead of him. Its complex here. From afar, it may feel its simple but here on the ground, even for israelis who are grieving and fearful and very, very worried, its a range of emotions and complexity. And i want to just follow up on the hostage situation, which really does create very concrete and tangible i have now watched, ive read interviews with multiple family members, we have played the tight at the top of the woman who was a survivor who said bring our friends and family home from gaza. I write an oped in the New York Times today that was just utterly devastating about a mom talking about her 22yearold son who is there saying, at the end of, that if youre a mother they are, please take care of my son, please look at for my son. But this is, i mean, there is a Policy Decision here which is that a Ground Invasion, which we believe is coming, will likely spell their demise. I think they have to assume. There is negotiators working very hard at this, but that complexities not an abstract when its a point of the spirit you are 100 right. Thats exactly right. Because that leverage hamas has, if they have any at this point after that massacre is the hostages. And if that doesnt prevent israel from coming in, why keep those hostages . The other thing hamas does is, theyre likely or possible to use them as Human Shields. Thats a complicated place for Israeli Soldiers to operate. And youre absolutely right. The families of those people still being held would like the government to expand all effort in figuring out how to get delegates out before the Ground Invasion starts. They understand there might be a Ground Invasion, and in places like ashkelon where people are very, very angry, they want that crime invasion. They want it to be decisive. But for the families of the people who are still being held, they would like a solution to the hostages. Before a grand four starts. Of course, israel is considering all of that right now. And were not sure what decision theyre going to make. I cant thank you enough for your fantastic reporting. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and please stay safe. Thank you. One of the main challenges and covering whats happening and israel and gaza right now is gazas one of the most inaccessible and thunderous places in the world. Even before of the best massacre by hamas, because it was largely closed off by an israeli blockade from over a dozen years. With and, it hamas runs a brutal one party state with no elections and to saint is punished. This, among many other factors, makes it very hard to give American Television audience as a vision of life there that doesnt feel alien and remote. I mean, even the images weve shown you, that we are showing you, the ones like these, that rubble, the low collected come from a Disaster Movie or another planet. And ill just say, speak for myself, i feel this way, personally i cant really relate to the sheer anguish and grief and temper that weve seen from the israeli survivors from the hamas terrorist attack. Images and words of the survivors haunt me. I can imagine that a 24 year old version of myself at a musical festival, like the one at the site of the slaughter, and like the story we brought you last night i cant imagine hiding in my house with my little girls fearing for my lives as armed interest came through the door. But its kind of impossible for me to really imagined myself and a place like gaza city, fleeing from aerial bombardment. But there are millions of people they are living through a kind of hell right now. Earlier today i spoke to someone who just flip gaza city, the Outrage Coordinator for just a vision, a News Organization dedicated to countering israeli and palestinian stories. Hes also General Secretary of the union he wrote in that New York Times today, describing his unsuccessful attempt to evacuate his family to egypt. Theyre not trapped in a refugee camp and gaza. While their home and doesnt city is under bombardment. After i left my family at my parents home, i drove alone to my home in gaza city. I [inaudible] gaza city, i couldnt recognize the buildings. Like, its literally flattened. Where is this building and where is this building . I also spoke with someone still in guzzles looking right now, yousef hammash, it wilkes for a Norwegian Ngo and was a reporter for the uks final four. Hes lived in gaza his whole life and described what hes seeing that last few days. Yousef hammash it is an Advocacy Officer with norwegian refugee council. He has left and gaza has the whole life and he joins us now. Yousef, thank you for talking to us. Can you tell us where and guys that you are and what it is like there . Thanks for hosting me. I live in the northern part of. The momentum stop for a second, six days of. Neuro wherever you go and gaza, you see, you will see rubble everywhere. To cross that distance from a place to another place, its like not nice going from straight to straight because all of the streets are blocked that rubble and destruction everywhere. No food, no electricity, no water, no internet connection. Even i have to stand in the strait just to get signal. Im really surprised that still, this phone call is functioning, because usually it drops off quickly. Situation is deteriorating really quickly for most people had to flee from the northern parts and eastern parts of gaza, seeking shelter in schools. Now they are full, even about the capacity. Now people who are lucky to have some relatives who live in some areas that havent been bombed, so they have to go seeking shelter at the houses. Theres no one housing, hosting one family. Everyone is hosting another of their relatives who lost their house or forced to flee. You worked there and 2014, the last time that there was a war between hamas and israel and gaza, specifically. Is this more destruction . Are the asterisks and is the bombing wider area that what happened in 2014, at least for six days . It was 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, to this 21, and between that also there was a lot of small grand fights. This cannot be compared to what we witnessed previously. This is a massive bombardment that they are using. The bombardment of all over gaza strip. There is no single place safe and gaza. Usually we have an escalation in gaza, the most affected areas are the north, an eastern part, northern areas. But now all of gaza strip is affected because as you see, for sure everyone so on that news that since gaza city, that main area, has been turned to ash. That situation is really difficult here. There is no place safe and all of gaza. And for all the people who dont know, it is not like a piece of land. It is like a block of concrete whose houses are connected to each other. The situation now, you cannot compare to any war or escalation before. Its madness. You told about that humanitarian basics obviously, shelter being one of them. We have numbers that there are as many as 300,000 people who are now homeless of a population of 2 million. Water, electricity is running out. Water, food, how, where, from us, how are people acquiring food and is there clean water still . We have different sources of water and gaza. One of them is that municipality at lines but the main issue is the electricity, because even if you have the source of water you cannot pump or push it into your house. The number you are talking about, over 300,000, who have fled into schools. There is double this number who have fled to other relatives houses and she fought hospital. There is people who are sheltered everywhere in gaza just seeking shelter in different places. Its not only in schools, its in every place that is not government, any place that is related to the United Nations, church, people are trying to secure themselves, convincing themselves that these places are safe for them. If you look at the hospital, and became from a hospital to a shelter. It transferred. Im wondering, obviously the governing authority and gaza is hamas. What are they saying to the people of gaza about what is happening and what is about to happen . The people in gaza are disconnected from the world and from everything else. Even internally, they cannot communicate with each other. There is no internet. There is no signal to communication because all of the signatories have been bombed. And trust me, there are too many people that are in gaza levant day by day, no, sorry, they are Living A Second By second, because no one can ensure at any second that they will be a life. All that we have to think about is to secure our children, secure or family. Every day, i have to go to white and, lying to the bakery, for more than two hours just to pick up some bread. This is the situation in gaza. There is, of course, no way out because of the rafah crossing. To you, i mean, what you just said, i guess, second by second, i hope that you can keep your family safe and im so appreciative of you taking time to talk to us. Thank you so much. Yes, i am secure. I have to flee from my house to one of my relatives house. I was lucky someone was accepting to host made because i live in another area. Also, my mother and my sisters had to find one of our relatives house. The situation is really unacceptable. Also a freight, not we are afraid of the terror. Whenever it is not, it is terror here. Its a horror movie every night we are living. And every night we are praying to see the daylight again. When we come back, more on the Breaking News out of washington d. C. Tonight as the frightening republican pick for speaker withdraws his candidacy. That stunning turn, next. That stunning turn, next with skyrizi to treat my skin and joints, im getting into my groove. uplifting music along with significantly clearer skin. Skyrizi helps me move with less joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue. And is just 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. Skyrizi attaches to and reduces a source of excess inflammation that can lead to skin and joint symptoms. With skyrizi 90 clearer skin and less joint pain are possible. Serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a l ability to fight them may occur. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine, or plan to. Thanks to skyrizi, theres nothing like clearer skin and better movement. And that means everything. Nothing is everything nows the time to ask your doctor about skyrizi. Learn how abbvie could help you save. As americans, theres one thing we can all agree on. 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Thats why when the rest of the block is Lighting Candles and looking for flashlights, youre ready to rock and roll. Its not just a generator. Its a power move. Request a free quote today. All right, so back here in goli, taste your goals. The u. S. , and our nations capital. We continue to have a shot or chaos raining tonight. The house has now got nine days without a speaker and the republican conference nominee, Steve Scalise, just drop out of the race, surprising basically everyone. Minutes before he came on air, congressman Steve Scalise from louisiana emerged from a meeting with his colleagues and admitted that vote for his speakership were just not there. I just shared with my colleagues, im throwing my name is candidate for speaker designate. If you look at over the last few weeks, if you look at where our conference is, theres still work to be done. Our conference still has to come together and its not there. Thats more polite and euphemistic than i would have been. Steve scalise put on the site, members of his caucus have their ideas that need to put to the side, but the divide and fractious Republican Caucus does not appear to be any closer to doing that. Now republicans leadership to the extent except exists, they have been attempting to secure the speakership for scalise, who was their preferred candidate over jim jordan who donald trump endorsed. Yesterday they held a closeddoor meeting of the republican conference, where members voted by Secret Ballot for a nominee. The plan was for caucus to unite behind the winning candidate and then go to the floor for a full vote a few hours later. Thats not how it went. Scalise one of the internal conference vote by 14 votes. He got cape norman from jim jordan and matt gaetz. But within minutes, members turned and said they would know for scalise on the house floor. Soon that repellent became large enough it was clear scalise would not get the 217 votes he needed on the house floor. Today, things swiftly moved further away from a Steve Scalise speakership as the antics Scalise Caucus and the party ballooned to at least 16 members by nbc news count. This afternoon, there is no timeline, republicans were rejected. One republican source predicted the eventual outcome, telling punchbowl news, state is done. 100 done. We might never elect a speaker. Representative troy tells of texas questioned even the lord jesus could get the 217 votes. Not the best option, Steve Scalise is out. Jesus christ is not available. The office of Speaker Of The House remains empty. Republicans dont appear to have anyone else in the caucus who they can get behind, or even a roadmap to get there. And every time you think the republican dysfunction in the house cannot get more intense, somehow it does. Truly historic level chaos. All happening against the bigger drop of an International Crisis jen psaki served as a spokesperson for the department of state, is the host of inside with jen psaki, on msnbc. David jolly is a former Republican Congressman of florida. Both join me now. David, let me start with you. As a person whos been in the conference meetings. It does seem the person winds, gaetz and durban say were with state. Then we go to the floor and vote. Its like, no. And 24 hours, they move further from consensus. I dont even know what the roadmap is here anymore. A little bit of internal dynamics here, chris. Historically, any candidate for speaker, they got more than 50 of the vote, went to the floor with presumably all the votes of the conference. That ended in 2015 when Kevin Mccarthy got 80 of the votes but didnt succeed john boehner, and we know how that ended up going. Yesterday, bill scalise wanted to try to get over the 50 threshold. Didnt want to do it all Behind Closed Doors because he couldnt. And he thought the pressure of going in The Public Eye would work. It didnt. There is a bright light for what happens now. It is that in the collapse of the republicans ability to govern, it shines a lot on the democrats ability to govern. Republicans have been 20 years making this movement. They went from the party of Less Government to note government to now government is the enemy. How could they ever elected somebody to govern. They cant. And i dont know where we go from here. To your point, and contrast to a world that is on fire, we look at domestic politics. The republican majority, they cant govern. It is a crisis, its an opportunity to Shine A Light On Republicans and say, they do not deserve to be in the majority tonight. You know, that white house today put out a statement about Donald Trumps actually, like, bizarre rant last night. To davids point, ive got to imagine, the politics of this are good for them. But at a deeper level, ive got to think theyre more focused on the substance right now. The house cant function. There is stuff cannot get. Passed there is a 45 statement taking. Done whatever shouting you can takes little recompense for the fact you actually need to do stuff. And for immediately on the topic with discussing all night tonight, chris. They cant pass additional assistance for israel without the Speaker Of The House. The house needs to be able to function in order to do that. So i think my former colleagues in the white house are looking at this and thinking, this is chaos, this is crazy. But also, they need them to be a partner in some capacity. And a functioning part of government. Do you think, i mean, i guess, david, how long, i just, again, usually i kind of know what the roadmap is, but i dont think anyone does right now. Let me throw this out to you. Nobody wants to go to the floor until somebody gets elected, because that looks terrible, and it looked horrible the first time. But i dont understand what is going to happen in the absence of. That what are you doing . Everyones trying to trade around, you get these different can someone explain to me the path from here to a speaker . I agree with you, chris. I dont think anybody can become Speaker Of The House in this environment. We are dealing with a bunch of kids and children, and frankly republicans have gone from pure ignorance to rock malfeasance at this point. Thats just what it is. They cannot govern. And the palace intrigue that did entry us two weeks ago now seems woefully in significant specifics of the crisis on the world stage where people are being beheaded and we see a war break out in The Middle East. We have a house without a speaker. We have Military Leadership that is also vacant. At the hands of republicans. They do not deserve to govern. That is the broader problem. To that point, you are a spokesperson for the State Department before he were at the white house. I want to ask you about blinkens trip today. This seems to be a key thing. What do you know about how this works, about the Behind The Scenes negotiations happening around getting the hostages free . The key thing in circumstances like this is all Behind The Scenes, chris. Theyre going to say very, very little publicly because everything they say could put at risk the possibility of negotiating hostages coming back and, you, know the u. S. Has lived through this through republican and democratic administrations. Its interesting, Secretary Blinken added qatar to his trip. Hes going to go. There thats been reporting. They dont just speak to hamas, they got members of hamas there. They could be a conduit, and oftentimes when theres a country you do not speak directly with as that you, as you work for our country. It doesnt mean its going to be successful. This is from a complicated and most of the situations. Because these individuals, some are american citizens, as we, know many are israelis, some are from around the world. But there could be spread out across gaza. Nobody exactly knows where they are. So it significantly more complicated. But its typically for a third party. We wont hear a lot about it at all, until in a magical development there is some success. The qataris have been the intermediary, like the swiss put in The Middle East. I know with the iranians, the qataris of the ones managing that money, they go between. There is no diplomatic collisions with hamas. The qatari essentially put that role. Yes. Often an in between country and in between party. And this is always complicated, as diplomatic motions are. Because some of these countries, you know, you may say how can we be talking to them . They have members of hamas there. We need them. At that u. S. For negotiations for support roles. And this is certainly an example. The israeli government, and previous prisoner swaps has found ways to do these. Jen psaki, david jolly, thank you both. That is it for us tonight. Our coverage continues now with alex wagner. Good evening alex. What a time. What incredibly destabilizing time. Really. Theyve got to get something together in the house. I just dont know how theyre going to do it. I