Two GOP House members, who represent Turlock in Congress, are throwing their support behind an effort to return Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, to his post as Speaker of the House.

Rep. John Duarte (R-Hughson) and Rep. Tom McClintock (R-El Dorado Hills) both have pieces of Turlock and surrounding areas in their districts. Duarte represents the 13th congressional district; McClintock the 5th.

Both are calling for McCarthy’s return.

“Kevin McCarthy displayed exceptional leadership during his tenure as Speaker of the House, effectively advancing the federal government in a bipartisan manner,” said Duarte, serving his first term in Congress. “He spearheaded the Fiscal Responsibility Act and passed a continuing resolution to keep the government open and working for the American people. The Republican Party needs to put its internal disputes aside and re-elect him for the role of Speaker of the House to move the country forward.”

McCarthy was ousted on Oct. 3 when Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), citing broken promises by McCarthy, utilized an obscure procedural tool and called for a motion to vacate the Speaker’s position. Gaetz and seven other Republicans voted with a unified Democratic conference to remove a sitting Speaker for the first time in the nation’s history.

However, with no consensus as to who should replace McCarthy, the House was thrown into chaos. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana), the House Majority Leader, and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), vice-chair of the far-right Freedom Caucus, are mounting bids for the gavel. Former President Donald Trump has said he’d be amenable to filling the post.

“The decisions that run the House, especially the election of the Speaker, belong the majority,” said McClintock, serving his eighth term in Congress. “When the majority fails to vote as a majority, it ceases to be one. On (Oct. 3), eight Republicans stole that decision from the Republican conference and the stole the House majority from the voters who elected it.”

Former California Assemblymember Adam Gray — who lost the general election to Duarte last November by 564 votes and plans to run again in 2024 — said moderate Republicans need to consider reaching across the aisle in hopes of electing a centrist.

“I think they should, but I doubt they will,” said Gray, who served five terms in Sacramento, representing the 21st assembly district. “They’re doing a lot of nothing and putting our country at risk. We have serious issues in our world, most notably in Israel, and we should be focused on the job at hand; not which extremist they’re trying to elect as Speaker.”

On Saturday, just days after McCarthy’s ouster, Hamas launched unprecedented attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately declared war on Hamas, and hostilities have since intensified, throwing the Middle East into political and military chaos.

“We have one of our strongest allies in the world under attack and we’re dilly-dallying around with a leadership struggle in the House that should’ve never occurred,” Duarte said Monday on Fox News. “The Democrats, you know, I don’t blame them: ‘If the party wants to tear itself apart, let them.’ But in this situation, right now, we need the Democrats’ help. Just a few of them need to take a walk while we elect Kevin McCarthy back into the Speakership, so we can help Israel.”

When Fox commentator Steve Doocy suggested the odds were long for a McCarthy return, Duarte replied, “I won’t give it that. Facts are much different today than they were Tuesday of last week.”

Duarte praised McCarthy’s five-point plan for aid to Israel as “the most coherent strategy amongst any of our leaders.” McCarthy has called for U.S. forces rescuing American hostages being held by Hamas; the White House demanding the extradition of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh; bringing back the Trump Administration’s “maximum pressure” policy on Iran; renewed focus on the U.S.-Mexico border; and condemnation of antisemitism in the U.S.

On Tuesday, a visibly upset President Biden spoke from the White House about the situation in the Middle East, calling the attack against Israel by Hamas as “an act of sheer evil” and voicing concern for Americans who may be held hostage by the Iranian-backed group.

“In this moment, we must be crystal clear,” Biden said. “We stand with Israel.”

During his 10-minute speech, the president strongly condemned the attacks, which have led to the deaths of 1,000 Israelis, 900 Palestinians and at least 14 Americans.

Gray also made clear his support for Israel, but not at the expense of aid to Ukraine, as Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, suggested in a social media post on Tuesday.

“We must stand for Democratic governance and institutions,” said Gray. “Our support for Israel has to be there. As well as for Ukraine. Democratic institutions are under attack all over world and we are the stalwart defender of those principles. We have to remain so.”

Emergency aid to Israel will be difficult to muster until the House elects a Speaker who can shepherd specific legislation.

Hence, the calls for McCarthy’s return.

“The only workable outcome is to restore Kevin McCarthy as Speaker under party rules that respect and enforce the right of the majority party to elect him,” said McClintock. “This depends entirely on several of the dissidents to disenthrall themselves from their decision and to repair the damage before it is too late.”