Speaker battle paralyzes all activity within the House
The chair of the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives sits empty because the House embarks on one other round of voting for a latest House Speaker on the second day of the 118th Congress on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 4, 2023.Â
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
The longer the infighting on Capitol Hill delays the election of a latest House Speaker, the more havoc it should wreak on the federal government.
While it doesn’t necessarily pose an imminent threat to the U.S. economy, it paralyzes all motion on the Hill. That could possibly be especially detrimental if the nation were to face a significant catastrophe that needed quick congressional votes or approval on emergency spending, because it did within the Sept. eleventh attacks or throughout the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As of Friday, the chamber couldn’t pass laws or reply to a national emergency.
Representatives-elect across the country cannot arrange their offices or provide formal services for constituents until they’re sworn into the brand new Congress by the speaker. That features help with receiving federal advantages or recovering missing payments from the federal government.
And not using a speaker, the House cannot vote on a rules package governing the brand new Congress. The stalemate has stopped Republicans from installing their committee chairs, holding hearings or conducting regular oversight of the manager branch and industry.
If the House doesn’t pass rules by Jan. 13, committee staff could begin to lose pay, in accordance with guidance sent to those panels reported by Politico.
Democrats also emphasized that the absence of a speaker was threatening U.S. national security by keeping members of Congress from accessing classified intelligence that is simply available to lawmakers after they’ve taken the oath of office, which none of them can take with out a speaker.
— Jacob Pramuk
Hern, Donalds floated as alternatives to McCarthy
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) places his hand over his mouth as he stands contained in the House Chamber during voting for a latest Speaker on the third day of the 118th Congress on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 5, 2023.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy’s probabilities of winning the speakership dimmed on Thursday after Republicans pushed for 2 alternate candidates: Florida Rep. Byron Donalds and Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern
U.S. Rep.-elect Byron Donalds (R-FL) watches proceedings within the House Chamber throughout the third day of elections for Speaker of the House on the U.S. Capitol Constructing on January 05, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images
Donalds, who was the one Black candidate, was first nominated on Wednesday while Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Co., offered Hern’s name Thursday. Hern chairs the powerful Republican Study Committee while Donalds sat on the powerful budget and oversight committees throughout the last congressional session.
Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) speaks during a town hall event hosted by House Republicans ahead of President Joe Bidens first State of the Union address tonight on March 1, 2022 in Washington, DC.
Samuel Corum | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Each fell far in need of gaining a competitive share of the votes — Donalds and Hern grabbed 12 and seven, respectively, compared with 200 for McCarthy and 212 for Democratic challenger Rep. Hakeem Jeffries — but the ultimate tally placed the coveted role farther from McCarthy’s grasp. A twelfth round of voting is predicted to happen Friday at noon.
— Chelsey Cox
Anniversary of Jan. 6 Capitol riot looms over McCarthy’s struggle for House speaker
U.S. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) gets a pat on the back from certainly one of his House colleagues prior to a fourth round of voting for a latest House Speaker on the second day of the 118th Congress on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 4, 2023.Â
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy’s protracted struggle for the House speaker’s gavel has now overlapped with the second anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
The revolt by a violent mob of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters forced lawmakers within the House and Senate to flee their chambers, impeding the transfer of power from Trump to now-President Joe Biden.
Community faith leaders gather for a prayer vigil on the second anniversary of the January 6 attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2023 in Washington, DC. Speakers called for an end to Christian nationalism and denounced political violence.
Nathan Howard | Getty Images
McCarthy had initially blamed Trump for the attack, saying the president “bears responsibility” at the same time as he opposed Democrats’ efforts to question Trump for a second time. But McCarthy soon walked back that criticism, and that same month visited Trump and posed with him for a smiling photo.
A person dressed as Uncle Sam, who’s an everyday attendee of events held by former President Donald Trump, stops to hope near community faith leaders during a vigil on the second anniversary of the January 6 attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Nathan Howard | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Trump has in recent days urged the faction of House Republican defectors to back McCarthy for speaker. But although the group of far-right lawmakers are highly supportive of Trump — GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz even voted for Trump for House speaker in two of McCarthy’s failed votes — they’ve not acquiesced to his demand.
Some Democrats are linking the present Capitol chaos to the radicalism that led to the 2021 riot.
“Unfortunately, the utter pandemonium wrought by House Republicans this week is just yet another example of how the acute fringe of their party, led by election deniers, is pulling them further into chaos and making it unattainable for them to manipulate,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a press release Friday morning.
Biden is about to attend a ceremony on the White House at 2 p.m. ET marking the two-year anniversary of the revolt. He will likely be joined by Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
— Kevin Breuninger
