Former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in some ways braided the House rules rope that eight ultra-conservative Republican House members used to hang him in the historic vote on the “motion to vacate the chair” that ousted the California lawmaker from his leadership post.
McCarthy endured a humiliating 15 votes in his quest to become House Speaker of the 118th Congress in January before finally winning the votes necessary to assume that post in the most protracted battle to elect the U.S. House Speaker since 1859 when it took 44 ballots to elect Republican William Pennington speaker — and the toughest fight since 1923 when it took GOP Speaker Frederick Gillett nine ballots to be reelected to the post.
House Republicans in January were at a standstill after attaining a slight congressional majority in the 2022 midterm elections. Without coalescing behind a new House speaker, the 118th Congress could not be sworn into office, form committees, or begin the business of governing. That was the practical impact. But the political damage to the Republican Party which saw the speaker’s choice delayed and almost derailed by a group of backbenchers and political stuntpeople from within their own party was nothing if not immediate, embarrassing and harmful.
With each failed vote, that four-day marathon political standoff saw McCarthy cede more and more political power to the so-called House Freedom Caucus to win their support. That GOP rump group, a minority of around 20, was too inconsequential to elect a speaker from their meager ranks. But they could block the process for the Republican House majority and force McCarthy to substantially weaken the position of the speaker and his own ability to negotiate across the political aisle with Democrats moving forward.
That, in less than a year, is exactly what happened. McCarthy promised and agreed to sweeping rules – including how many far-right GOP members would be on the House Rules Committee and other key changes that weakened the post of House speaker and empowered the rump group minority. In addition to promising highly coveted committee assignments to far-right Republicans, McCarthy handed campaign finance wins to groups like Club for Growth.
McCarthy made it easier for the small group holding up the speaker’s vote to challenge legislation on the floor and harder for legislation they opposed to be brought to a floor vote.
But most ominously, McCarthy agreed to a rule change that would allow a single rank-and-file lawmaker from either party to be able to call a vote on ousting the House speaker. Before McCarthy capitulated to U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and his House rebels, at least half of House Republicans were required to support the motion to trigger such a vote – called a “motion to vacate the chair.” But under the rules change, if the motion to vacate made it to a floor vote, it needs only a simple majority to pass.
Gaetz and his followers got the motion to the floor and McCarthy was removed under the very rules he endorsed in January.
Now comes the race for a new GOP House speaker that is expected to play out this week. House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a staunch supporter of Donald Trump (who has endorsed him), are the presumptive favorites to succeed McCarthy.
The approaching 2024 election cycle is fraught with uncertainties in both parties. With narrow Democrat control of the Senate and narrow GOP control of the House, the likelihood of the political needle moving dramatically from current policies between now and the 2024 elections is slim – but global geopolitical turmoil and a troublesome economy could change that.
No House speaker, from either party, can effectively lead with the rules McCarthy agreed to back in January. A rule allowing one rogue member of Congress to essentially trigger a “no confidence” vote weakens the House speaker’s role far below that which the Constitution contemplated.
The new speaker – and those who follow him or her in the future – should summarily reject living under a political Sword of Damocles like that Gaetz negotiated and to which McCarthy bowed and ultimately fell.
Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at sidsalter@sidsalter.com.
17 comments:
Yeah, great, Sidney. More Salter salad. That piece could’ve been written and done In just the final paragraph.
Sorry not sorry Sid. It must be terrifying for a cultural Marxist like yourself to know that a few principled and righteous men have the power to stop this nation from descending further into hell and and spiraling debt for pointless foreign wars. This nation would be far better with more Gaetz and Rand Paul type men in the legislature. I am sure you are perfectly fine if it were someone politically closer Chuck Schumer or Adam Schiff utilizing such power.
Gaetz is Vulgarian for Gutz, right? Gaetz, who resembles a young Jack Nicholson, certainly played his five easy pieces well in setting up the Congressional chess board for a check on his mate, but Sidney is right, the one man grenade should be revised in House rules.
This TOTALLY reminds me of that scene in The Phantom Menace when Palpatine manipulated Padme to vote “No confidence” in the Chancellor so that he could rise to power and take over the Senate. This time next week it’s going to be Jonestown and I hope there is massive gridlock so the government collapses!
We are all sheep we say we want term limits but we keep electing the same people over and over again. Most of these folks go to Washington with modest financial means and after a couple of terms they are all millionaires. If they would only take care of our country's finances as well as they do their own. There is not 50 cents difference in the whole bunch and all of us continue on a path with our heads down eating one blade of grass at a time until we are so lost they can tell us anything.
Michael Douglas had a line in the movie The American President.
" They don't eat the sand because we tell them to they eat it because they don't know the difference."
It's the slow erosion of what works in favor of what does not work based on so called "principles" whether they be conservative or progressive. When I hear people talk about the "principles" or foundation upon which this country was built I try to remind them that history shows that the main thing was always: Do What Works! even if it compromised our so-called "principles". Conservative or not, this stuff does not work.
@11:31..
“What works….”
Really?
I’d ask what works?
Passing bills with spending no one has even read?
Passing 12 appropriation bills in one bill which is against the house rules… just wave your hand over it and deem it passed?
Spending 7.5 trillion a year while bringing in 5 ?
Funding 4.5 billion for trans programs over seas?
I could go on but you know… I’m guessing you don’t work….outside of the government cuz that don’t work for real folks..
So there should be no recourse for the speaker not living up to his own word? I'm sure Gaetz gave him many chances before pulling the trigger. McCarthy received exactly what he deserved.
12:05 Stupid? Yes, we've been there many times.
Dysfunctional? That's where we're headed.
Salter is correct. The rule that one person can spur a vote to vacate has to go. No person can negotiate or effectively push compromise bills to passage under that rule. The rule should be half plus one of the Republican caucus is needed, as it was traditionally. Period. It's a stupid rule pushed by stupid people who don't want to govern. The Freedom Caucus is using the rules of the House to demonstrate to the U.S. people that they have no intent to govern. They tore down a wall (half plus one rule) without understanding why the wall was built. Principles!!!
Hakeem Jefferies (D - New York) has a pretty good chance of becoming Speaker, now. 20 GOP representatives are from districts that Biden won. Eight of the could make a deal with dem's and he would be speaker. I imagine he is dangling a lot of goodies to them to get their votes.
@ 9:10
What the hell is a "Cultural Marxist'?
Yeah, endless continuing resolutions. Now that's outstanding governance! Say it again, Principles!!!!!!!!!!
@4:51 according to the debunkers it is an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. The reason for that is because Cultural Marxists are typically Jewish. (Soros, Schwab, etc.)
The real definition is as follows:
In short, Cultural Marxism is a revolutionary leftist idea that traditional culture is the source of oppression in the modern world. Cultural Marxism is often linked to an insistence upon political correctness, multiculturalism, and perpetual attacks on the foundations of culture: the nuclear family, marriage, patriotism, traditional morality, law and order, etc. Cultural Marxists are assumed to be committed to establishing economic Marxism, in which case their cultural attacks are a necessary preparation for their ultimate goal.
If some Republicans don't grow a Brain, grow a Spinal Column, grow a set of Brains this Country is in more peril than I've ever seen. Get it together, stand for Something or go to the damn house. Rep. McCarthy knew he was on egg shells to be Elected Speaker, he tried to please all of the groups instead of Standing on Principle. The next Speaker should have witnessed a great demonstration on principles. If You Republicans keep "making excuses, blaming the democrats, wondering what just happened -it's on You. Draw a line, stand for something ou take your Retirement & move over for a Real Leader to come in. Damn Disgusting to watch this Child Show-
Identify the Real Leader, please.
We don't have one.
Agree 10:31. I am disgusted with all of them.
The GOP is a joke and everyday I realize there is less than one millimeter difference in them and the lunatic liberals.
We are ready for the rapture. We have screwed it up too far to ever correct the course.
The slippery slope is a water slide and we are done.
The entire Republican Party is totally fucked up beyond repair.
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