The Republicans won a narrow majority in the House of Representatives in 2022—aided by gerrymandering and new laws that made it harder to vote—but they remain unable to come together to elect a speaker. In three ballots yesterday, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) could not muster a majority of the House to back him, as a group of 20 far-right Republicans are backing their own choices. The saga continued today with three more ballots; McCarthy still came up short.
Pelosi and Jeffries don't have the same politics. She is much more conservative than he is. It's something to see that she stepped aside and gracefully passed the torch to a member of the Progressive Caucus.
That's leadership, and that is an ability to allow the future to happen. History will be very kind to her, she was and is exceptional.
The Repub gridlock in choosing a Speaker might put the "fun" back in "dysfunctional", but it is a potentially dangerous thing not to have a functioning House.This might take a constitutional amendment, but it is clear that rules regarding Speaker of the House need to change to prevent government paralysis. What would happen if this had been a presidential election year? Insurrectionists such as the "Freedom Caucus" could prevent the Electoral certification process. Could they have used this to keep Trump as president if the Repubs had gotten a majority in the House in 2020?!
The simplest change to the rules would be that the previous Speaker remains as Speaker until the new Speaker is chosen. There would have to be a contingency plan in case the previous Speaker is not able to serve. And there would have to be language to prevent the previous Speaker from impeding the process of electing a new Speaker.
Interestingly a similar thing happened in Pennsylvania as in Ohio. While Democrats took back the House by 1 vote, because of a death and two resignations, they were actually down 2 members when they met to choose a Speaker. Both sides claimed the right to the Speaker’s chair. In a surprise move, they elected a moderate Democrat who agreed to serve as an independent who would not caucus with either party. All done with relatively little drama in the name of having a functioning government until all the special elections are held. This is particularly important in PA because the Speaker controls what bills can make it to the floor. As a Pennsylvanian, I was astonished at the good will that produced this result.
Thank you Dr. Richardson for a brilliant post. Thank you for pointing out that this has been 40 years in the making. Too many people hold Ronnie Reagan in esteem. My late daughter, Laura Fields MD once said the best thing Reagan did while President was to sleep through all Cabinet meetings. He was a terrible Governor for California too. It was under his leadership and urging that all mental health hospitals were closed and the patients turned out on the streets. He glibly said the communities will take care of them, while not funding any of the 58 Counties in California to take care of these seriously ill people. From these seeds of injustice we produced "ta-da" the one and only trumpster. I hoped in 2020 that would be the end, but obviously from all the loony tunes in the Grand Old Party of Reagan to Trump - they are still with us. I sincerely hope we reinstate Civics in all schools from at least 4th grade up so that in 20 years we again have a well informed electorate.
It's as if the crazed rabble that broke into the Capitol two years ago are back but have cleaned themselves up and donned nice duds. And they're wreaking havoc, more politely grant you, but all with the intent of bringing governing to a grinding halt.
But this is a warm-up act for all kinds of dire, destructive behavior.
Thank you Professor, for keeping us updated, with your analysis and the news, as we watch the GOP destroy itself. I don’t think they are concerned about preserving Democracy or serving the American people or taking part in the World. They are playing games, planning ways to destroy instead of create and build, all in front of the public, including their voters. Until half the American voters, the repubs, connect the dots and see the full picture of how government either improves their lives or stands by and watches them suffer from inadequate healthcare, nonexistent gun safety, poor educational opportunities, poverty and the list goes on, they vote mainly the white Christian ticket and forgo a country that provides for all, consciously or not, rejecting equal rights, human rights and a healthy planet and future.
"That Republicans now have a wing openly determined to destroy the federal government is not a function of a few outliers who have wormed their way into Congress; it is the logical outcome of this worldview."
And it should not be missed that the installation of this wing of a party mutated into a gang of vandals has been extremely well-funded. So long as plutocrats can buy buffoons to occupy the government to serve their interests at the expense of the well-being of citizens, democracy remains in serious danger.
So do these 20 MAGAs think they can control the entire House by continuing to object to Kevin — or anyone else -- who does not bend to their changing demands?
Time for six OR more of the 18 new representatives to work with Jeffries given his consistent 212 votes so a bipartisan moderate can do some legislation.
As most republicans know, it’s time to dismiss these grandstanders who only delight in chaos and obstruction. And the crazies should not be on any committees.
Is this a glimpse of how the House is going to function for the next two years? Will the Trumplican 20 succeed in melting down the government with this antic? Really, if the House can’t move forward, organize themselves and write rules, hasn’t the Trumplican 20 succeeded? After all, there will be no legislation coming from the House and any legislation created by the Senate will gather dust. We laugh at the republicans now but I’m concerned this comedy could turn into tragedy.
Here in the UK, we have our similar problems which have grown from the poisonous seeds planted by Margaret Thatcher, Reagan's political soulmate. Caring about society as a whole has become pejoratively called "socialism". The National Health Service, which has been the jewel of our social crown, has been deliberately eroded by 12 years of government underfunding, and is now in a state of crisis. With not enough beds, ambulances cannot transfer patients to ER and have to wait in queues that mean they are not free to answer calls. Hundreds of people are dying unnecessarily as a result. Currently, we are being subjected to waves of strikes by public sector workers - including nurses for the first time (whom we stood and applauded during the pandemic but now won't pay a fair wage). Remarkably, in spite of severe inconvenience, the public seem to be supportive. Sorry to rant. I despair.
It's not just the "20." the entire party is involved. There are not "extremists" fighting "institutionalists" (aka "the establishment") There are two extremist wings.
As Harry Truman said 75 years ago: "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies." It's only more true now than it was back then.
And Ed Mess, er, I mean Meese, is still the same braindead moron he was when he was Alameda County DA back 60 years ago. I'm amazed he's still alive. He was always ga-ga, so how they know he has any problems now would be beyond me to figure out.
"Just last night, in his apparent realization that the party is moving beyond him, Trump launched a new attack on Black Georgia election worker Ruby Freeman, falsely accusing her once again of delivering suitcases of fraudulent ballots in the 2020 presidential election to steal victory from him. Trump said he is fighting “the evils and treachery of the Radical Left monsters who want to see America die.”
Honestly, if the Justice Department cannot reign in this kind of vicious bullying by a rich white man against a poor black woman then the USA gets what it deserves.
In my integrated school, back in East Texas, NOBODY would have put up with a white bully picking on any of the black girls AT ALL much less at the level Trump has attacked Ruby Freeman.
No lie. If the USA cannot stop Trump's dangerous bullying of Ruby Freeman, well, we all get what we deserve.
More Trump. More hate. More violence.
Obviously, WE cannot take this into our own hands and stop it.
WE will go to jail doing that.
I am outraged and I am angry about this unchecked bullying by a rich white man and I CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, substantiatively, to STOP IT.
Or I would.
Can you say impotent? Well, there you have it. Trump has made us all impotent.
This morning’s Steady letter from Dan Rather, appropriately titled “Burning Down the House”, further explains the chaos that Heather wisely attributes to Republican leadership not having the skills required to govern. Per Rather:
“The dumpster fire we are witnessing now has been smoldering for years, if not decades. It is what happens when people elect representatives who actively hate the idea of governance. It is what happens when people rack up victories with Fox News rants and not legislation. It is what happens when a quest for power means you’re willing to yield and appease everyone and everything that can help you secure it.”
The 20 are not the only persons trying to tear down the government; look at TFG’s nomination of Rick Perry to Secretary of Energy (after Rick had stated that it needed to be abolished) as well as his nomination of Betsy DeVos (who wants to privatize public education) to Secretary of Education.
What we have witnessed the last two days is utter chaos within the R party and I can’t say I am not enjoying it. The Dems are steadfast in their resolve to stick together like glue and keep their votes for Jeffries. He would make an awesome speaker but it’s not going to happen until 2024. For now, if the R’s were smart, (they’re not) they would suggest a proposal to the Dems to vote for a moderate Republican. There aren’t any around now because they either retired or lost their seat. So imagine if they suggested someone like Fred Upton who reached across the aisle and voted with Dems re: the impeachment of Trump. This would eliminate Kevin and freeze out the 20 seditionists. It would help the R’s save face and the Dems might be able to get bills on the table. I think I’m dreaming, maybe, because the Dems may just want to wait things out, wear the R’s completely out. I kinda don’t want that though because we are not functioning as a country. Our security could be peril. Our last hope is that Cheryl Johnson, the House clerk who was appointed by Pelosi 4 years ago, actually yields the gavel, thus she is THE manager of the House. She has a tremendous educational and governmental background. She might be a perfect fit.
Pelosi and Jeffries don't have the same politics. She is much more conservative than he is. It's something to see that she stepped aside and gracefully passed the torch to a member of the Progressive Caucus.
That's leadership, and that is an ability to allow the future to happen. History will be very kind to her, she was and is exceptional.
The Repub gridlock in choosing a Speaker might put the "fun" back in "dysfunctional", but it is a potentially dangerous thing not to have a functioning House.This might take a constitutional amendment, but it is clear that rules regarding Speaker of the House need to change to prevent government paralysis. What would happen if this had been a presidential election year? Insurrectionists such as the "Freedom Caucus" could prevent the Electoral certification process. Could they have used this to keep Trump as president if the Repubs had gotten a majority in the House in 2020?!
The simplest change to the rules would be that the previous Speaker remains as Speaker until the new Speaker is chosen. There would have to be a contingency plan in case the previous Speaker is not able to serve. And there would have to be language to prevent the previous Speaker from impeding the process of electing a new Speaker.
Interestingly a similar thing happened in Pennsylvania as in Ohio. While Democrats took back the House by 1 vote, because of a death and two resignations, they were actually down 2 members when they met to choose a Speaker. Both sides claimed the right to the Speaker’s chair. In a surprise move, they elected a moderate Democrat who agreed to serve as an independent who would not caucus with either party. All done with relatively little drama in the name of having a functioning government until all the special elections are held. This is particularly important in PA because the Speaker controls what bills can make it to the floor. As a Pennsylvanian, I was astonished at the good will that produced this result.
Thank you Dr. Richardson for a brilliant post. Thank you for pointing out that this has been 40 years in the making. Too many people hold Ronnie Reagan in esteem. My late daughter, Laura Fields MD once said the best thing Reagan did while President was to sleep through all Cabinet meetings. He was a terrible Governor for California too. It was under his leadership and urging that all mental health hospitals were closed and the patients turned out on the streets. He glibly said the communities will take care of them, while not funding any of the 58 Counties in California to take care of these seriously ill people. From these seeds of injustice we produced "ta-da" the one and only trumpster. I hoped in 2020 that would be the end, but obviously from all the loony tunes in the Grand Old Party of Reagan to Trump - they are still with us. I sincerely hope we reinstate Civics in all schools from at least 4th grade up so that in 20 years we again have a well informed electorate.
It's as if the crazed rabble that broke into the Capitol two years ago are back but have cleaned themselves up and donned nice duds. And they're wreaking havoc, more politely grant you, but all with the intent of bringing governing to a grinding halt.
But this is a warm-up act for all kinds of dire, destructive behavior.
Here is the link to the Colbert monologue from today’s debacle in Congress: https://fb.watch/hSctx7Atbw/
It is a good laugh and so true!
Thank you Professor, for keeping us updated, with your analysis and the news, as we watch the GOP destroy itself. I don’t think they are concerned about preserving Democracy or serving the American people or taking part in the World. They are playing games, planning ways to destroy instead of create and build, all in front of the public, including their voters. Until half the American voters, the repubs, connect the dots and see the full picture of how government either improves their lives or stands by and watches them suffer from inadequate healthcare, nonexistent gun safety, poor educational opportunities, poverty and the list goes on, they vote mainly the white Christian ticket and forgo a country that provides for all, consciously or not, rejecting equal rights, human rights and a healthy planet and future.
"That Republicans now have a wing openly determined to destroy the federal government is not a function of a few outliers who have wormed their way into Congress; it is the logical outcome of this worldview."
And it should not be missed that the installation of this wing of a party mutated into a gang of vandals has been extremely well-funded. So long as plutocrats can buy buffoons to occupy the government to serve their interests at the expense of the well-being of citizens, democracy remains in serious danger.
So do these 20 MAGAs think they can control the entire House by continuing to object to Kevin — or anyone else -- who does not bend to their changing demands?
Time for six OR more of the 18 new representatives to work with Jeffries given his consistent 212 votes so a bipartisan moderate can do some legislation.
As most republicans know, it’s time to dismiss these grandstanders who only delight in chaos and obstruction. And the crazies should not be on any committees.
Is this a glimpse of how the House is going to function for the next two years? Will the Trumplican 20 succeed in melting down the government with this antic? Really, if the House can’t move forward, organize themselves and write rules, hasn’t the Trumplican 20 succeeded? After all, there will be no legislation coming from the House and any legislation created by the Senate will gather dust. We laugh at the republicans now but I’m concerned this comedy could turn into tragedy.
Here in the UK, we have our similar problems which have grown from the poisonous seeds planted by Margaret Thatcher, Reagan's political soulmate. Caring about society as a whole has become pejoratively called "socialism". The National Health Service, which has been the jewel of our social crown, has been deliberately eroded by 12 years of government underfunding, and is now in a state of crisis. With not enough beds, ambulances cannot transfer patients to ER and have to wait in queues that mean they are not free to answer calls. Hundreds of people are dying unnecessarily as a result. Currently, we are being subjected to waves of strikes by public sector workers - including nurses for the first time (whom we stood and applauded during the pandemic but now won't pay a fair wage). Remarkably, in spite of severe inconvenience, the public seem to be supportive. Sorry to rant. I despair.
It's not just the "20." the entire party is involved. There are not "extremists" fighting "institutionalists" (aka "the establishment") There are two extremist wings.
As Harry Truman said 75 years ago: "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies." It's only more true now than it was back then.
And Ed Mess, er, I mean Meese, is still the same braindead moron he was when he was Alameda County DA back 60 years ago. I'm amazed he's still alive. He was always ga-ga, so how they know he has any problems now would be beyond me to figure out.
"Just last night, in his apparent realization that the party is moving beyond him, Trump launched a new attack on Black Georgia election worker Ruby Freeman, falsely accusing her once again of delivering suitcases of fraudulent ballots in the 2020 presidential election to steal victory from him. Trump said he is fighting “the evils and treachery of the Radical Left monsters who want to see America die.”
Honestly, if the Justice Department cannot reign in this kind of vicious bullying by a rich white man against a poor black woman then the USA gets what it deserves.
In my integrated school, back in East Texas, NOBODY would have put up with a white bully picking on any of the black girls AT ALL much less at the level Trump has attacked Ruby Freeman.
No lie. If the USA cannot stop Trump's dangerous bullying of Ruby Freeman, well, we all get what we deserve.
More Trump. More hate. More violence.
Obviously, WE cannot take this into our own hands and stop it.
WE will go to jail doing that.
I am outraged and I am angry about this unchecked bullying by a rich white man and I CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, substantiatively, to STOP IT.
Or I would.
Can you say impotent? Well, there you have it. Trump has made us all impotent.
We cannot help Ruby Freeman.
This morning’s Steady letter from Dan Rather, appropriately titled “Burning Down the House”, further explains the chaos that Heather wisely attributes to Republican leadership not having the skills required to govern. Per Rather:
“The dumpster fire we are witnessing now has been smoldering for years, if not decades. It is what happens when people elect representatives who actively hate the idea of governance. It is what happens when people rack up victories with Fox News rants and not legislation. It is what happens when a quest for power means you’re willing to yield and appease everyone and everything that can help you secure it.”
https://steady.substack.com/p/burning-down-the-house?utm_medium=email
The 20 are not the only persons trying to tear down the government; look at TFG’s nomination of Rick Perry to Secretary of Energy (after Rick had stated that it needed to be abolished) as well as his nomination of Betsy DeVos (who wants to privatize public education) to Secretary of Education.
https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/energy-and-environment/2016/12/13/13936210/rick-perry-energy-department-trump
https://www.npr.org/2020/11/19/936225974/the-legacy-of-education-secretary-betsy-devos
What we have witnessed the last two days is utter chaos within the R party and I can’t say I am not enjoying it. The Dems are steadfast in their resolve to stick together like glue and keep their votes for Jeffries. He would make an awesome speaker but it’s not going to happen until 2024. For now, if the R’s were smart, (they’re not) they would suggest a proposal to the Dems to vote for a moderate Republican. There aren’t any around now because they either retired or lost their seat. So imagine if they suggested someone like Fred Upton who reached across the aisle and voted with Dems re: the impeachment of Trump. This would eliminate Kevin and freeze out the 20 seditionists. It would help the R’s save face and the Dems might be able to get bills on the table. I think I’m dreaming, maybe, because the Dems may just want to wait things out, wear the R’s completely out. I kinda don’t want that though because we are not functioning as a country. Our security could be peril. Our last hope is that Cheryl Johnson, the House clerk who was appointed by Pelosi 4 years ago, actually yields the gavel, thus she is THE manager of the House. She has a tremendous educational and governmental background. She might be a perfect fit.