The Week In Politics Oct. 7-13

Welcome to the second week ever of Politics Explained! For those that are new here, we’ve built this website for people who are hungry to learn about politics. We cover the major happenings on Capitol Hill in compact weekly blogs, creating an easy way for you to stay in the loop. This week was another one full of chaos and new developments, so let's dive right into it. 

In Philadelphia on Monday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced he will be running for Presidency as an Independent candidate instead of a Democratic candidate. Earlier this year, Kennedy announced he would run for presidency as a part of the Democratic party. This could be important, because it could shift how voting could turn out next November. A lot of election analysts have predicted Kennedy to take more votes away from Donald Trump, the Republican front runner, than Joe Biden, the Democratic front runner. Kennedy changed his mind and decided to run as an Independent, saying that the two parties were broken. 

Wednesday morning, House Republicans voted on their nominee for House Speaker, with Steve Scalise (R-LA) winning. He beat out Jim Jordan (R-OH), the other nominee, by a vote of 113-99. Just a day later, Scalise has withdrawn from the race, leaving the door wide open for a different nominee for the GOP party. While many people would assume that Jordan would now be the default nominee, other Republicans will assuredly put their name in the running to become Speaker.

While House speakership remains in limbo*, a resolution of support and funding for Israel after the attack by Hamas earlier in the week remains on hold. Early Saturday morning, Israelis from Jerusalum and Tel Aviv were woken by the sounds of bombs hitting all around them. Later that night, Hamas fighters entered a music festival near the Gaza border, took women and children hostage, and left 260 people dead at the Aftermath Festival. A majority of Congress supports funding to help Israel, but their hands are tied until a Speaker is decided. 

*A period of uncertainty where you are awaiting a decision