U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton: Congress ‘pretty much paralyzed’ on Israel without a new House Speaker

Partisan paralysis on Capitol Hill is undermining the United States’ ability to help Israel as it enters the third day of fighting with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, a key Massachusetts lawmaker has said.

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-6th District, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, made his comments Sunday in an interview with MSNBC. He told anchor Katy Tur that the Republican-controlled chamber is “pretty much paralyzed” without someone in the Speaker’s rostrum.

“This is unprecedented in American history to not have a speaker like this,” Moulton said.

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted last week by disgruntled Republicans and Democrats who said they could no longer work with the House’s presiding officer. Republicans are expected to name a new nominee this week.

But until that happens, business in the House has ground to a halt.

Hamas, the Islamic fundamentalist militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, overran Israel’s border defenses Saturday morning, and launched a surprise incursion into Israeli territory.

Hamas, which the United States and many other countries consider a terrorist organization, attacked Israeli troops and massacred Israeli civilians in communities near the Gaza border, including at a music festival where more than 260 people were reported killed. By Monday, at least 700 people were presumed dead, some of them Americans.

Speaking to MSNBC on Sunday, Moulton, a former Marine, said the fighting in Israel “just highlights how important it is to have a functioning government here at home to deal and respond to these international crises.”

Moulton expressed skepticism that Republicans will be able to marshal the votes to name a replacement for McCarthy. Some Democrats have suggested that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., should be elevated to the speakership.

Meanwhile, the United States must offer whatever support it can to Israel as it mounts a “counter-insurgency operation,” Moulton said.

“One of the most important things that we can deliver to Israel immediately is intelligence support. Let’s be honest here. This is a massive Israeli intelligence failure under [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s] government,” Moulton said. “That this unprecedented attack could happen without any warning whatsoever.

“The United States, from what I understand, was also taken by surprise. But we have intelligence assets all around the world,” Moulton continued. “We have intelligence assets throughout the Middle East. That’s immediate support we can provide the Israelis to help them in neutralizing immediate threats; to finding the hostages; tracking down these terrorists, and also coming up with a real long-term plan so this doesn’t happen again.”

MassLive Reporter Will Katcher contributed to this story.