2023 Republican House Follies

[El Guapo]

I feel like the dream scenario is that Democrats find the sanest member of the House GOP caucus (if that exists) and basically say "we'll vote for them for speaker", leading to them getting elected with 212ish Democratic votes plus 6+ Republican votes. Would any Republican be willing to be elected speaker with mostly Democratic votes? Would that person be able to effectively govern?

Of course, I figure the more likely outcome is that a series of failed votes eventually culminates in Speaker Donald J. Trump.

[pr0ner]

So what happens if Jeffries wins?

Then he'd be Speaker until 5 Reps got together and called for another vote.

I don't think the Republican rules packages go into effect with Jeffries as Speaker.

I don't think the Dems would call for a new vote with Jeffries as Speaker.

That's not the point of my post. There's no 5 member rule to call for a new Speaker unless the Republicans can pass their rules package.

[Defiant]

Huh, I looked at that list and checked, and there is indeed a Representative Self.

They should run for speaker, just to make a great Abbott and Costello bit where all the Republicans vote for their Self.

But I guess, since they're all voting from Jordan, I would assume they're coming from the far right of the party.

[Holman]

I feel like the dream scenario is that Democrats find the sanest member of the House GOP caucus (if that exists) and basically say "we'll vote for them for speaker", leading to them getting elected with 212ish Democratic votes plus 6+ Republican votes. Would any Republican be willing to be elected speaker with mostly Democratic votes?

It's not totally inconceivable, but yeah it's pretty inconceivable.

Would that person be able to effectively govern?

Is that a thing anymore?

[Alefroth]

So what happens if Jeffries wins?

Then he'd be Speaker until 5 Reps got together and called for another vote.

I don't think the Republican rules packages go into effect with Jeffries as Speaker.

I don't think the Dems would call for a new vote with Jeffries as Speaker.

That's not the point of my post. There's no 5 member rule to call for a new Speaker unless the Republicans can pass their rules package.

How many are required now?

[stessier]

Huh - in case you thought this was the most disfunction you've seen.

Longest election for Speaker:
After more than two months and 133 ballots, Nathaniel P. Banks of Massachusetts was elected Speaker on February 2, 1856.

[Smoove_B]

Huh. I wonder if there was anything heating up in America at that time where we could draw parallels. I guess I'll leave that to historians to examine.

[pr0ner]

So what happens if Jeffries wins?

Then he'd be Speaker until 5 Reps got together and called for another vote.

I don't think the Republican rules packages go into effect with Jeffries as Speaker.

I don't think the Dems would call for a new vote with Jeffries as Speaker.

That's not the point of my post. There's no 5 member rule to call for a new Speaker unless the Republicans can pass their rules package.

How many are required now?

A majority agreement from a party, so a lot more than 5.

[Isgrimnur]

Banks was, along with Henry Wilson and Governor Henry J. Gardner, considered one of the political leaders of the Know Nothing movement, although none of the three supported its extreme anti-immigrant positions of many of its supporters.

[stessier]

So what happens if Jeffries wins?

Then he'd be Speaker until 5 Reps got together and called for another vote.

I don't think the Republican rules packages go into effect with Jeffries as Speaker.

I don't think the Dems would call for a new vote with Jeffries as Speaker.

That's not the point of my post. There's no 5 member rule to call for a new Speaker unless the Republicans can pass their rules package.

How many are required now?

This was remarkably hard to find.

As Republicans have debated the rules, they’ve spent a lot of time discussing the motion to vacate the chair, which is the mechanism for ousting the speaker.

Until four years ago, any member could file a privileged motion to vacate. When a measure is privileged it can be brought up for a vote over the objection of leadership.

Freedom Caucus members used the motion to vacate in 2015 to help force out then-Speaker John A. Boehner. McCarthy ran for speaker then but dropped out just before the conference nomination vote amid opposition from the Freedom Caucus.

Democrats changed the motion to vacate rule in 2019 after taking back the majority to say it is only privileged if offered at the direction of a party caucus or conference, instead of just a single member.

Freedom Caucus members wanted to restore the old rule, but the rules package keeps the current rule in place, with a key exception. Language is added that would allow a motion to vacate to be privileged if five members of the majority party sign onto the resolution, which means five Republicans could band together and force a vote on ousting McCarthy or whoever the House elects speaker.

[Defiant]

Woah. There are reports that there are just enough Republicans are willing to buck their party and vote for a moderate Democratic speaker....
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... in the Pennsylvania State House, where the Republicans have a 2 seat majority.




Edit: It looks like it's unclear if it will happen.

[LordMortis]

Biggs
Bishop
Boebert
Brecheen
Cloud
Clyde
Crane
Gaetz
Good
Gosar
Harris
Luna
Miller
Norman
Ogles
Perry
Rosendale
Roy
Self

How sad is it that instantly recognize six of those names and know exactly how horrible they are at being people. (To say nothing Jordan)

[Holman]

Edit: It looks like it's unclear if it will happen.

(Pennsylvania)

It's happening. Rozzi will be Speaker. He's an Independent but is understood to be basically a centrist Dem.

Wresting the PA House away from Republicans is the goal we've been working for ever since the Harrisburg GOP gutted public education when our kids were in elementary school. (One's now in college.)

[Daehawk]

Fun day of infighting. I suspect in the end it will come down to who can yell the loudest or throw the best sneaky punch and they'll end up with a nobody that no one has ever heard of before and will need to find out if the yare even GOP and should be in the room.

BTW I dont do GOP politics..is McCarthy sane or at least not a full on nutjob GOP? Can he work with people? Or is the GOP just intent on holding up everything by being babies?

Whats the best outcome for us as a country? or who?

[El Guapo]

Fun day of infighting. I suspect in the end it will come down to who can yell the loudest or throw the best sneaky punch and they'll end up with a nobody that no one has ever heard of before and will need to find out if the yare even GOP and should be in the room.

BTW I dont do GOP politics..is McCarthy sane or at least not a full on nutjob GOP? Can he work with people? Or is the GOP just intent on holding up everything by being babies?

Whats the best outcome for us as a country? or who?

McCarthy is sane but he's demonstrated complete willingness to sell the party and the country out to the far right in exchange for power. So he's probably not personally insane, but he's happy to let the insane people run things if he needs to.

[Defiant]

[Jaymann]

With friends like these...

[Isgrimnur]

NPR

McCarthy maintains he will not step down and balloting will continue until he can secure the necessary support.

"They can go through whoever they want to go through, and they'll come to the conclusion that they don't, they can't get there," McCarthy told reporters outside of the House floor.
...
In Round 3, the vote breakdown was similar, but McCarthy lost one Republican — Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida — who voted for Jordan.

Jordan spoke in support of McCarthy on the House floor just before the second round began, encouraging his colleagues to vote for him.
...
Speaking to reporters Tuesday — before he was nominated — Jordan said that he wouldn't want that job. "I'm for Kevin McCarthy and I've told you guys I don't know how many times, I want to chair the Judiciary Committee," he said.

[dfs]

I feel like the dream scenario is that Democrats find the sanest member of the House GOP caucus (if that exists) and basically say "we'll vote for them for speaker", leading to them getting elected with 212ish Democratic votes plus 6+ Republican votes. Would any Republican be willing to be elected speaker with mostly Democratic votes? Would that person be able to effectively govern?

Any red congress criter that would do this would be signing himself up to be primaried in two years.

[Daehawk]

The crust thickens.

[El Guapo]

I feel like the dream scenario is that Democrats find the sanest member of the House GOP caucus (if that exists) and basically say "we'll vote for them for speaker", leading to them getting elected with 212ish Democratic votes plus 6+ Republican votes. Would any Republican be willing to be elected speaker with mostly Democratic votes? Would that person be able to effectively govern?

Any red congress criter that would do this would be signing himself up to be primaried in two years.

Most definitely. I doubt that there's anyone willing to do this. But the upside would be that you would have more power for the next two years than you could reasonably expect to have if you otherwise remained a Congressman for a decade.

Plus, you know, you just become a lobbyist in two years.

[Defiant]

[Smoove_B]

I love that The Onion is still the best.

Kevin McCarthy Assures Skeptical Republicans He Shares Their Vision Of Innocents Drowning In Oceans Of Blood

[Isgrimnur]

When did they start reporting real news?

[Carpet_pissr]

When did they start reporting real news?

Many years ago. Sadly.

[Victoria Raverna]

Unless I’m reading it wrong, anyone left-leaning should not be cheering on this speaker chaos.

While maybe typically in-ranks division might delight opponents, in this case it’s lose-lose from what I can tell:
1. McCarthy gets the job…and we get McCarthy. But a very likely nastier version than we’ve known because he had to move RIGHT to get the job. Now he’s compromised, or at least biased by the right nuts.

2. McCarthy loses….and a more ‘pure’ MAGAT is waiting in the wings? More right than MCarthy? No thanks! So now I guess I’m hoping that McCarthy gets it.

3. ??

Is this not possible?

3. McCarthy loses then a moderate candidate win by getting support from moderate Republicans and Democrats?

[Skinypupy]

Unless I’m reading it wrong, anyone left-leaning should not be cheering on this speaker chaos.

While maybe typically in-ranks division might delight opponents, in this case it’s lose-lose from what I can tell:
1. McCarthy gets the job…and we get McCarthy. But a very likely nastier version than we’ve known because he had to move RIGHT to get the job. Now he’s compromised, or at least biased by the right nuts.

2. McCarthy loses….and a more ‘pure’ MAGAT is waiting in the wings? More right than MCarthy? No thanks! So now I guess I’m hoping that McCarthy gets it.

3. ??

Is this not possible?

3. McCarthy loses then a moderate candidate win by getting support from moderate Republicans and Democrats?

No, it is not. To our collective detriment.

[Smoove_B]

In case you're wondering how tomorrow will likely go:

Gaetz sent a letter to the Architect of the Capitol questioning why McCarthy is allowed to occupy the Speaker’s office.

[Daehawk]

Ive seen video clips of GOP spouting the swamp the swamp. Ok I feel silly but I have to ask what exactly IS the this swamp Ive been hearing of for so long.

[Skinypupy]

Ive seen video clips of GOP spouting the swamp the swamp. Ok I feel silly but I have to ask what exactly IS the this swamp Ive been hearing of for so long.

Whomever they happen to disagree with on any particular day about any particular topic, basically.

[Jaymann]

The Architect? What is this, The Matrix?

[Daehawk]

Sounds like Masons.

[Victoria Raverna]

Instead of trying to appease far right members to get their votes, why McCarthy doesn't try to get votes from Democrats? Any reason that is not a good option for him?

[waitingtoconnect]

So

Republicans could also attempt to defund any investigations into Trump, or even defund probes and prosecutions relating to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. They could do this without the more improbable act of defunding the whole FBI.

Such an effort, of course, would not pass the Senate (if Democrats hold it) and would never get signed by President Biden. But it’s obvious Trump loyalists in the House will force showdowns over this, and if the GOP majority is narrow, those loyalists might be more empowered to succeed.

Late night hosts must be ecstatic the adults are back in charge. Democracy dies with a large round of laughter.

[waitingtoconnect]

Instead of trying to appease far right members to get their votes, why McCarthy doesn't try to get votes from Democrats? Any reason that is not a good option for him?

He’s probably thought it through but the democrats would want concessions and he would split off the rebels permanently. So he’d always be hostage to the Democrat agenda not his own.

Arguably it could be the best thing if it results in a house where people vote for the benefit of their weirdly shaped districts instead of for their party exclusively. Ideally the moderate of both parties get together and come up with a consensus candidate.

Given the republican agenda this term seems to be to impeach Biden as much as possible, nuke any investigations of trump, wave around hunter Bidens laptop and pizza gate while legislating that Hawaii wasnt part of the US when Obama was born, a deal is unlikely.

[LordMortis]

Arguably it could be the best thing if it results in a house where people vote for the benefit of their weirdly shaped districts nation instead of for their party exclusively. Ideally the moderate of both parties get together and come up with a consensus candidate.

We all know that could never happen though.

Given what happened in the Dem sentate this last time around, one has to wonder what will happen in the GOP House. Scary what hostage takers can get away with.

[Carpet_pissr]

I’m not even sure it’s irony, but it’s both sad and funny to see this from the party who has now seemed to fully embraced burning the whole thing down.

Simplifying, but this might be a sign that we may have reached peak ‘non-governors’ in the R party.

[malchior]

I’m not even sure it’s irony, but it’s both sad and funny to see this from the party who has now seemed to fully embraced burning the whole thing down.

Simplifying, but this might be a sign that we may have reached peak ‘non-governors’ in the R party.

They never could drown it in a bathtub so burning it down is their "only" option. How else will they stop all the socialism we clearly see around us?

[raydude]

I feel like the dream scenario is that Democrats find the sanest member of the House GOP caucus (if that exists) and basically say "we'll vote for them for speaker", leading to them getting elected with 212ish Democratic votes plus 6+ Republican votes. Would any Republican be willing to be elected speaker with mostly Democratic votes? Would that person be able to effectively govern?

Any red congress criter that would do this would be signing himself up to be primaried in two years.

Couldn't the Democrats then torpedo McCarthy by implying they were in talks with him and then vote him into Speakership?

[Skinypupy]

I'm sure Trump's tepid, after-the-fact endorsement this morning will push McCarthy over the top.



Also, "fly home to a very broken California". I mean, he does know which state McCarthy is from, right?