Nine House Republicans vie for speaker as urgent fiscal agenda looms and government shutdown threatens before Thanksgiving.

Nine House Republicans have announced their intention to run for speaker, with majority Whip Tom Emmer, Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern, and Byron Donalds of Florida among the contenders. The House Republicans are eager to settle on a speaker to allow the chamber to reopen for business and deal with a mounting agenda, including fiscal 2024 bills and an emergency supplemental from the White House. House Minority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed his support for legislation combining aid for Israel and Ukraine, while Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed his desire for a speaker in the chair. The Senate has been unable to clear any of the spending bills and the government would shut down a week before Thanksgiving without a stopgap.