Table Of Content
- Mike Johnson elected House speaker with unanimous GOP support, ending weeks of chaos
- What about the government funding fight?
- Clear majority of US voters pick border security as top issue for Congress to tackle: poll
- Lead-up to first conference vote
- As McCarthy grasps for the speakership, ‘pork’ has become a focal point.
- Speakers by time in office
Historically, there have been several controversial elections to the speakership, such as the contest of 1839. In that case, even though the 26th United States Congress convened on December 2, the House could not begin the speakership election until December 14 because of an election dispute in New Jersey known as the "Broad Seal War". Two rival delegations, one Whig and the other Democrat, had been certified as elected by different branches of the New Jersey government.
Mike Johnson elected House speaker with unanimous GOP support, ending weeks of chaos
The Senate had quietly slipped out of the city while insurgents in the House demanded more power as the nation watched anxiously. “I think it’s great that Matt Gaetz has a group up there that’s bringing attention to what’s wrong,” said William Paulovitz, 78, referring to the firebrand Florida Republican who has been one of the far-right rebels blocking Mr. McCarthy’s bid for speaker. Mr. Paulovitz, a retired businessman, dismissed his representative’s run for speaker in a place that representative knows all too well — outside Luigi’s, a popular lunch eatery that has long been a piece of Mr. McCarthy’s self-spun Bakersfield lore. Ms. Cole previously served as a clerk on the House Financial Services Committee and was appointed as the House reading clerk in 2007 by John Boehner, who was then the House minority leader, according to Roll Call.
What about the government funding fight?
Mr. Biden spoke to Johnson on the phone a short time later, the White House said, to offer his congratulations and express "that he looks forward to working together to find common ground on behalf of the American people." "God already gave me another chance at life," he wrote in a letter to colleagues announcing his bid for speaker. "I believe we were all put here for a purpose. This next chapter won't be easy, but I know what it takes to fight and I am prepared for the battles that lie ahead. I humbly ask you for your support on this mission to be your Speaker of the House." In the 2006 midterm elections, the Democratic Party regained control of the House of Representatives. Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker of the House, becoming the first woman to hold the position.
Clear majority of US voters pick border security as top issue for Congress to tackle: poll
It is important to note that the period between the adjournment of one Congress and the convening of the next Congress is not included in the calculations. For instance, Nathaniel Macon served as speaker during both the 8th and 9th Congresses, but the eight-month gap between the two Congresses is not included in his service duration. The exact dates of service for each individual speaker is shown in the Term of service column of the above table. Most of them served in that long stretch when their party held the majority for four decades. The most recent Democrat, however, is Nancy Pelosi, still a House member and the House speaker emerita.
Speakers have been required to submit a non-public succession list since 2003, part of a post-9/11 contingency plan to keep the government functioning in the event of a foreign attack or other catastrophe. McHenry was chosen because his name topped a list of replacements that McCarthy was required to provide the House clerk in January. The lower chamber is now tasked with electing a new speaker before it can move forward with any other business. Leadership of the House Democratic Caucus will also be decided soon, but the left-leaning party has stayed relatively quiet about what discussions are looking like behind the scenes.
New Republican candidates can now declare next week, when Republicans will start the process all over again. A McCarthy antagonist turned close ally, he is one of three lawmakers spearheading the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. McCarthy’s ouster from a job he long coveted was induced by far-right Republicans with the support of vengeance-minded Democrats.
What happened with Jim Jordan this week?
Scalise voted in favor of a relatively modest aid package worth $300 million for aid to Ukraine last week, one of 101 Republicans who supported it. The White House and members of both parties in the Senate want billions of dollars in additional aid to Kyiv, and the issue has become a sticking point in larger spending talks, teeing up an early test for whomever becomes the new speaker. "I think very highly of Steve Scalise. I would vote for Steve Scalise," he said after filing his motion to vacate.
He’s already secured endorsements from Reps. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Thomas Massie (R-KY), and is seen as a strong fundraiser. Further complicating the big picture is that Republicans don’t hold all of Congress. In a surprise victory, Democrats narrowly managed to maintain control of the Senate, largely due to John Fetterman’s win over Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania. And they have the potential to expand their lead further, as the Senate race in Georgia goes to a runoff between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker.
Comer has said, "We would love to talk to people in the Biden family, specifically Hunter and Joe Biden." Given that divisions between those conservatives and moderates in the GOP conference are deeper than ever — with some McCarthy allies even crying on the House floor Tuesday night — this vote could play out similarly. At this time, it is unclear if or when Greene will introduce a motion to vacate Johnson as House speaker. “I don’t think people realize how much time we spend doing nothing because the Republican conference can’t get their things together,” said Lee. On the contrary, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told theGrio that it would be a “stupid” move if House Republicans voted for Jeffries to become the next House speaker.
Ms. Alli and Ms. Cole work under the clerk of the House of Representatives, Cheryl L. Johnson, who is charged with keeping lawmakers in order until a new speaker is elected. Mr. Trump’s call into the chamber came on the two-year anniversary of the riot by his supporters to block congressional certification of Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s win over Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump called Mr. Gaetz, according to two people briefed on the call who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. CNN reported that Mr. Trump also called Representative Andy Biggs, who switched from voting against Mr. McCarthy to voting “present” on the 15th round. At the same time, Mr. Gaetz had reportedly sought a subcommittee chairmanship in the House Armed Services Committee. Mr. McCarthy agreed to allow a single lawmaker to force a snap vote at any time to oust the speaker, a rule that he had previously refused to accept, regarding it as tantamount to signing the death warrant for his speakership in advance.
"I'm gonna stand here and tell you by the actions that have taken place this week I'm not hopeful to keep the majority. I'm not hopeful to win back the Senate,” he said. Another freshman Republican representative said he's open to expelling Rep. Matt Gaetz as he didn’t hold back in his criticism of the Florida Republican who led the charge to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and throw the chamber into paralysis. Empowering McHenry would expand his ability beyond just administering a speaker vote to potentially move legislation through the chamber, although the exact specifics aren't clear. The five are among the 20 Republicans who voted against Jim Jordan's bid to become the next House speaker yesterday. Reps. John Rutherford, Carlos Gimenez, Mike Lawler, Anthony D'Esposito and Nick LaLota are all sitting together on the House floor as members wait for the speaker vote to be called. Jordan then got into an extended conversation with New York Rep. Andrew Garbarino, who voted against him.
Rep. Tim Burchett also wants to see Jordan stick it out and doesn’t want to empower McHenry because it will take the “urgency” away from electing a permanent speaker. "I don't know that it's ripe," Johnson said of the efforts to expand McHenry's powers. For example, the House Freedom Caucus members usually sit toward the middle of the chamber.
Kevin McCarthy voted out: first House Speaker to be ousted - The Associated Press
Kevin McCarthy voted out: first House Speaker to be ousted.
Posted: Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Upon hearing that a speaker had not been elected, shouts of disappointment filled the air. Last call came, before the Republicans voted to go to a 15th ballot instead of adjourning — an unexpected opportunity for another viewing party. Former President Donald J. Trump made a crucially timed call to Representative Matt Gaetz on Friday night after the Florida congressman voted “present” and sunk Kevin McCarthy’s 14th effort to be elected House speaker. Miller also said that he is “very firm” on limiting the powerful tool used by Gaetz to push McCarthy from the speakership.
And just shy of his fourth anniversary in the job, he was voted out by the full House Republican conference in December 1998. McCarthy needed Democratic support to retain the speakership, and Democrats — even those with good working relationships with the GOP — decided they wouldn’t come to his rescue. The first person on that list would be named speaker pro tempore and their first order of business would be to hold an election for a new speaker. That event requires the House to vote as many times as it takes for a candidate to receive the majority of those present and voting for speaker. Democrats have all voted for their leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York, in each of the speakership elections. Jeffries has said there have been “informal talks” with Republicans, but Democrats have been quiet about any negotiations.
Congress banned the practice more than a decade ago, after a series of scandals tied to earmarks and anti-spending fervor swept through the institution with the rise of the Tea Party, but it has since reintroduced it with more guardrails. And the Senate, traditionally viewing itself as the more refined chamber, chose not to hang around for the slugfest in the House. Instead, senators organized without incident and expeditiously vacated the Capitol to let their counterparts across the Rotunda sully themselves alone. The Republican divisions obstructing Mr. McCarthy’s decade-long ambition of becoming speaker of the House have been playing out on both the national stage in Washington and a far smaller though equally telling one in his hometown and home district. It is easier to find detractors on his far-right flank than die-hard supporters, in what should be friendly home turf for California’s top Republican — one of the reddest cities in one of the bluest states in the country. There are more questions about how Mr. Rosendale and Mr. Crane may behave in the next round.
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