chowfers huckleberry finn." it was controversial from the beginning because of the subject matter and use of dialect. the book sold more than 0 million copies worldwide and had a profound impact on american literature. ernest hemingway is quoted as saying that all american literature comes from this one novel. watch "books that shaped america" featuring "the advenn chowfers huckleberry finn" monday live at 9:00 p.m. eastern. on c-span. c-span now our free mobile video app and online at c-span.org. scan the q.r. code to listen to our companion podcast where you can learn more about the authors of the books featured. "washing. . " continues host:

-- >> "washington journal" continues. host: joining us is aidan quigley of cq roll call to discuss appropriations for israel and ukraine. let's begin with a viewer post to us on x, "why is the house having one vote a day for spker? jordan changed some minds but lost votes also. does he ever think he is going to get enough? it seems like they are playing a game and taking turns not voting for jordan." guest: that is a very good question. it is clear that jim jordan does not have the votes to become elected speaker and the prevailing thought is that on the next ballot he will lose even more from the establishment republican types who dug in.

i think the tide is turning against him. host: there is reporting that this is by design, they are taking turns voting against him. there is reporting that that is the strategy. can you explain? guest: opponents want to show momentum against jordan. if that is a strategy, which it would make sense, they want to show that momentum is turning against him and their building opposition. there are some lawmakers who want this to be over and get support jordan. but now they are frustrated by the process and the fact that jordan is pushing on when it is clear holdouts will not budge. the kevin mccarthy experience, there were negotiations going on between mccarthy and his holds out -- and his holdouts.

the senior per breeders who were against him, they are not negotiating, they dug in. yesterday afternoon they were calling for an immediate vote because they think they have the numbers. host: your headline, "speaker battle lines may be heartening, next steps are unclear." talk about the pressure campaign on those opponents. guest: there is a lot of talk this week from the opponents about because they're getting from constituents putting pressure on jordan. one member from iowa said she was receiving death threats for changing her votes because she was for jordan on the first ballot and then it became clear he had no path to 217. she said she was getting death threats. it is a high-pressure environment on capitol hill where jim jordan supporters but him to become speaker and they're are putting pressure on

his lawmakers -- they are putting pressure on these lawmakers. it seems potentially criminal and the office is in touch with police. host: is the pressure valve getting patrick mchenry more power? guest: jim jordan has disavowed the campaign and the death threats. to patrick mchenry, we are singing movement from moderate republicans to give him more power -- seeing a movement from moderate republicans to give him more power. it begs a constitutional question where you have a debate on whether he has that power. there is one train of thought that he does have that power. it has never been tested before. a speaker has never been vacated until kevin mccarthy. we are trying to see what power patrick mchenry has and a resolution to do so would formalize it.

some say he can do it on his own. host: who is waiting in the wings if there is not another vote for jim jordan and he bows out of this race? guest: there are a lot of moving pieces here and a lot of republicans still interested in being speaker, despite what we have seen with the two candidates that have already been nominated. it is hard to see a path to 217 for anyone at this point, especially when you have jim jordan backers that will be absent -- and would be upset about him not becoming speaker. to answer your question, i think the republican committee chairman was publicly flirted with the bid two weeks ago. now he would be a clear option. there are a handful of others, patrick mchenry himself even though he seems to not want her

job -- not want the job as we saw with his gavel slam when kevin mccarthy was ousted. he might get more power, he might try to go for it permanently. host: republicans have had a reluctant speaker before, paul ryan. guest: they have. if you don't want it, that makes you more appealing than those who do. host: let's get to kathleen, democratic caller. caller: i need to know this answer, as well as some of your republican callers blaming the democrats about them helping to give mccarthy out. i was under the impression that if you got the majority, like the republicans, it is 220 and eight weight against him. why are you -- blaming democrats

for getting rid of mccarthy when you have 220 republicans? it is not the democrats' fault because these eight republicans went against one of their own. i hear people talking about why do the democrats not vote to keep a speaker in? since when is a republican speaker going to keep a democratic speaker in? why could not four or five of those republicans who did not want mccarthy come over with the democrats? host: we will take your questions. guest: you make a really good point. that is the argument that the democrats on the hill are making. democrats never vote for republican speakers and two weeks ago when they put it with it republicans who opposed kevin mccarthy to vacated the speakership, that was the argument the democrats were making. we do not support republican speakers.

mccarthy had a long list of things he had done that they did not like. most recently, going on tv on sunday after keeping the government open on saturday and winning democrats with the government shutdown shutdown when democrats provided a majority of the votes to keep the government open. that was a move mccarthy made him generate sixth, the trump experience -- made, january 6, the trump experience, a lot of arguments against mccarthy. as we tied it back to empower patrick mchenry, democrats are looking for concessions. they are looking for a deal. hakeem jeffries said they want to see what republicans come up with before they go back and discuss it. we are waiting and seeing on that front. >>the public -- host: the republicans would need

votes to give patrick mchenry these powers. what concessions would democrats want? guest: that is a good question. they need to democratic votes because there are conservatives that say this is essentially forming a coalition government with democrats. there is no difference in their eyes between giving mckinney more power and picking some compromise candidate and working with democrats. as far as concessions go, the impeachment inquiry is one where democrats want that to end. that might be too big of any ask. when you come to the operations process, democrats want to keep the government open past november 17, less than a month from now. they want to negotiate the debt limit deal. mckendree -- patrick mchenry help to negotiate so he may help steer in the direction which

some conservatives would be upset about. those are two areas where they would be room for negotiation. host: republicans versus democrats, how many are there? two vacancies right now, what is the magic number? guest: 217 is the magic number for the speaker race. there are 221 republicans at this point so there is not a lot of room for house republicans. host: team in alabama, lets you -- tim in alabama, let's hear from you. caller: about speaker of the house, with all of the chaos, the mage republic -- maga republicans and everything, i don't think anyone whether it is mitt romney or anybody else could go in and get the votes to be speaker of the house. the other thing is i would not

be surprised if jim jordan has been in conversation with donald trump. he is going to keep running. it is wasting time when some other way of getting the house in order -- he is waiting time. host: let's pick up on that point because how does that help the republican party the 2024 election? are there republicans concerned about that? guest: there are republicans that are concerned about speaker jim jordan and swing districts with trump at the top of the ballot. house republicans are nervous heading into next year and there is fear that speaker jim jordan would cause some headaches to them when it comes to the campaign trail. host: aaron in huntsville, alabama. independent. caller: i was putting together

this week how international bankers helped establish israel. host: tori, missouri -- troy, missouri. democratic caller. caller: this is a big joke. the guy behind all of this is trump. he calls down to florida -- just like mccarthy did. it is a big joke. host: let's hear from john who is in conley springs, independent. there you go. caller: i know how republicans could win this first vote if they do with the democrats did.

if you vote -- you want to get any dnc money or rnc money. host: they have tried that tactic on people. guest: i think so. there is the looming threat of a primary challenger is the scariest thing you can say to any house members. a lot of them have dug in and feel strongly, especially supporters of steve scalise who are voting against jim jordan on the floor. some of them feel he won the election against jordan fair and square. i think they have dug in and are not moving. host: when this gets settled, what is the first piece of legislation the house brings to the floor? guest: the top priority bill be aided to israel -- will be paid

to israel -- aid to israel. israel, ukraine, taiwan, a big appropriations package is heading the way of congress. the senate is going to have to move first, the house usually moves first. with no speaker, the senate is gearing up to consider that. the senate seems to be way more willing than the house to support ukraine which is going to be a huge part of this. host: 60 billion dollars for ukraine, $40 billion for taiwan, security on the southern border, the aid that the president announced for gaza, is this part of the appropriations headed to congress? guest: i don't believe it is.

this is focused more on defense and security. host: june in charleston, south carolina. democratic caller. caller: i would like to know when they picked jordan when he is being charged in georgia. also, he was involved in january 6. he is trump's buddy. to me, that is dangerous. that is all i have to say. host:'s role on generate sixth, the phone calls he made to the president, that has come up by his opponents. democrats have definitely highlighted that. guest: absolutely. anti-pelosi was talking about how jim jordan is an insurrectionist -- nancy pelosi was talking about how jim jordan is an insurrectionist.

it looks like with the help of republicans, they are successfully achieving. jordan has not faced any charges over january 6, but it is something that there is some focus on. host: ohio, john is there and is that he. independent -- is it there in cincinnati. independent. caller: the republicans have 221 members. if they would elect lee zeldin, not currently a member, would he be able to vote and make it 222? guest: it is possible someone who is not a member of the house could become the speaker which is why we see votes for lee zeldin, but he would not be a vote during -- a voting member

of the house, he would just be the speaker. host: kelly in new york, democratic caller. . caller: i am a democrat but i love democracy and i know we need a healthy congress. i do not understand why the moderate republicans do not call the bluff on extreme and a few of them vote present, put up a decent republican and then the rest are going to have to join or else my guy is going to become speaker of the house. host: hakeem jeffries is for guy, i take it -- is her guy, i take it. guest: that would lower the threshold unit for speaker and possibly elevate hakeem jeffries. moderate republicans are really

upset about what happened to kevin mccarthy the fact that democrats did not help them or vote to table the motion. a moderate from pennsylvania it was talking yesterday saying there is a lot of broken trust between moderate republicans and democrats they would work with on some thing like that. there is no appetite among many of these moderate republicans for any type of coalition government. they are interested in empowering patrick mchenry which some democrats have also expressed interest in. we will see how that shapes up, but that will be the focus today. host: michael in westminster, democratic caller. caller: can you hear me? host: you are good, go ahead. caller: two questions.

if republicans cannot elect a speaker in effect the government is shut down so it is a government shutdown without republicans being blamed, necessarily. if that is not the case, i would like you to explain why that isn't the case. host: the government is not functioning properly. there is nothing happening but for speaker election at this point when the house could be working on the appropriation bill, the government shutdown on every 17th. since that did pass a resolution to keep funding the government at the beginning of october, agencies are able to function. it is not technically a government shutdown even though it is quite clear those gridlock's and nothing is able to pass until patrick mchenry is

given more powers. host: republicans are feeling the pressure to act when it comes to aid for israel. president is likely to address is a package for israel and ukraine when he addresses the nation tonight. go to our free mobile app for our coverage. what is the support like in the house and the senate for the president's aid package. guest: it is still very early so we are waiting to see. israel has a lot of support from many members of both parties in congress. that package will pass. if it is just israel, it would pass in a bipartisan motion. even john fetterman is saying israel needs this and he has been in front of this. when you add other pieces to

this, it becomes more complicated. ukraine is becoming increasingly polarized between the parties and the timbers. senate publicans have been really pushing to continue to fund the war for ukraine. house republicans like mccarthy come he stripped some money from the continuing resolution that was in the senate version. that would be complicated. if you were to bring it to the floor, however the new speaker is, or temporary speaker is, it would pass with support from republicans, but mostly republicans -- but most the democrats. there are some policy disputes. if it was just israel aid, i think it would pass overwhelmingly. if you add in more pieces which is what the administration is trying to do, it would become more complicated. host: if that package is brought

to the floor, what are the ripple effects of that on the new speaker, whether it is a speaker by default or an elected speaker by the republican conference? guest: $100 billion in new spending is going to be controversial, especially for those on the right side of the party. it is going to be tough to navigate for whoever the new speaker is. if is not jim jordan and you have other conservatives upset about how this played out. host: any talk of republicans going behind closed doors today to vote in secret or sang publicly how they would vote? is that before they go to the floor? guest: nothing has been announced at this point. there have been a lot of meetings among house republicans.

it is just a therapy session where congress members say the same thing over and over again. it seems that the anti-jordan members are dug in and not moving. i am not sure how productive another conference meeting would be. host: jerry in michigan, independent. let's hear from you. caller: [indiscernible] stay in the office until they can get in. host: are you talking about patrick mchenry? caller: no, the former speaker of the house. host: kevin mccarthy? what are the eyes of kevin mccarthy coming back -- of the odds of kevin mccarthy coming back? guest: is very low. there are some -- it is very

low. there are some members who voted for him to come back. democrats are having second thoughts about removing him. host: aidan quigley, a reporter with cq roll call. follow his reporting on roll call.com. >> at mediacom we believe that whether you live here or right here or way out in the middle of anywhere you should have access to fast, reliable internet. that's why we're leading the way to bring you internet. mediacom supports c-span as a public service along with the other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy.