What's Going on in the US House of Representatives?

[Pilgrim]

As the Republicans continue to squabble among themselves, a solution exists to solve the problem of the House not being able function. Both parties are aware of it, but neither will bring it up for a vote: authorize the Speaker pro tempore to carry out the full scope of duties of the position on either a temporary or permanent basis. The Republicans won't do it because they can't get past their egos.

If the Democrats were truly interested in bipartisanship they could make the motion and easily get a few moderate Republicans to go along with their usual block to pass it. This won't happen because they'd rather let the other side make fools of themselves. Meanwhile, the country is distracted from this mess by the war in Gaza.

"Congress, much like the Senate, is a self-governing body. Thus, it would be no seismic event or constitutional crisis if Democrats and Republicans got together and hammered out a deal to allow McHenry the leeway to move House business forward until a new speaker is elected. But, of course, this is Congress we are talking about – and that would just be too easy"

Patrick McHenry: A Starring Role in the House Speaker Drama? - Liberty Nation News

Patrick McHenry isn’t exactly a household name, but he might be about to land a starring role in the House Speaker drama. The

www.libertynation.com

 

[muttly]

As the Republicans continue to squabble among themselves, a solution exists to solve the problem of the House not being able function. Both parties are aware of it, but neither will bring it up for a vote: authorize the Speaker pro tempore to carry out the full scope of duties of the position on either a temporary or permanent basis. The Republicans won't do it because they can't get past their egos.

If the Democrats were truly interested in bipartisanship they could make the motion and easily get a few moderate Republicans to go along with their usual block to pass it. This won't happen because they'd rather let the other side make fools of themselves. Meanwhile, the country is distracted from this mess by the war in Gaza.

"Congress, much like the Senate, is a self-governing body. Thus, it would be no seismic event or constitutional crisis if Democrats and Republicans got together and hammered out a deal to allow McHenry the leeway to move House business forward until a new speaker is elected. But, of course, this is Congress we are talking about – and that would just be too easy"

Patrick McHenry: A Starring Role in the House Speaker Drama? - Liberty Nation News

Patrick McHenry isn’t exactly a household name, but he might be about to land a starring role in the House Speaker drama. The

www.libertynation.com

It’s a stupid idea.

 

[RLENT]

I could accept this.

The Democrats need to extract concessions - preferably the type that eliminates some of the cray cray on the other side - for their help in bailing out the Republicans from a disaster of their own making.

 

[RLENT]

It’s a stupid idea.

Let the freaking out begin ...

Jordan's speaker bid is toast — and 'conservatives are going to freak out': analysis

 

[ATeam]

As the Republicans continue to squabble among themselves, a solution exists to solve the problem of the House not being able function. Both parties are aware of it, but neither will bring it up for a vote: authorize the Speaker pro tempore to carry out the full scope of duties of the position on either a temporary or permanent basis. The Republicans won't do it because they can't get past their egos.

I'm no House rules expert, but I'm not sure this could be done even if Democrats and Republicans wanted to do it.

Under current rules, the power of the speaker pro tempore are strictly limited to calling the House into and out of session for the sole purpose of conducting votes for speaker. The "temporary speaker" proposal that is being floated now can't be done without changing the rules. But the speaker pro tempore does not have the authority to preside over sessions in which rules changes are on the table.

We know this because if the Speaker pro tempore had the power do do ANYTHING else, he would have done it by now. The whole House stands ready to vote for a resolution condemning Hamas, but they can't do even that because the speaker pro tempore's powers are so limited.

Again, I'm no expert, and I may be wrong about this, but it seems to me that the only way to change the rules is to first elect a speaker. The wrinkle is that once a speaker is elected, vast powers are vested in that person by the existing rules. Notwithstanding any agreements made ahead of time, it would be anyone's guess what would happen next.

 

[Pilgrim]

I'm no House rules expert, but I'm not sure this could be done even if Democrats and Republicans wanted to do it.

I guess we're about to find out.

Jim Jordan Will Not Seek a Third Speaker Vote Jim Jordan Will Not Seek a Third Speaker Vote

 

[ATeam]

I guess we're about to find out.

It took about 10 minutes to find out. This was not a nuanced rules decision but the effect is the same. The House remains stuck.

House GOP abandons plan to empower temp speaker

Jim Jordan, who earlier on Thursday indicated that he would pause speaker balloting and back the idea, now could reverse course and go to the floor again.

www.politico.com

 

[ATeam]

It took about 10 minutes to find out. This was not a nuanced rules decision but the effect is the same. The House remains stuck.

And a few minutes after that, Jordan announces he's still running for speaker and wants a third round of voting, probably today. That's a good thing, I thing. It gives House Republicans the opportunity to put Jordan's speaker campaign out of its misery.

 

[ATeam]

The Republicans Have a Plan. What Could Go Wrong?

House plans third vote for Jordan while Democrats eye power-sharing deal

The House will hold a vote for speaker later Thursday to give Republican nominee Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio a third shot at the gavel as he struggles to convince nearly two dozen holdouts to back him.

www.washingtontimes.com

 

[Pilgrim]

It took about 10 minutes to find out. This was not a nuanced rules decision but the effect is the same. The House remains stuck.

House GOP abandons plan to empower temp speaker

Jim Jordan, who earlier on Thursday indicated that he would pause speaker balloting and back the idea, now could reverse course and go to the floor again.

www.politico.com

Yep - what seemed like a good idea only lasted about an hour in the meeting they had. Then they decide to do the same thing again expecting a different result. Isn't that the definition of insanity?

 

[ATeam]

The Combative Insurrectionists Have Overplayed Their Hand

Another Congressman has condemned Jordan's bullying tactics and voted against him because of them. This statement encapsulates the growing body of anti-Jordan sentiment that is contributing to his demise.

--------------------------------------
U.S. Congressman Drew Ferguson (GA-03) today released the following statement regarding the Speaker of the House vote:

“As the Republican Conference designee, I supported Congressman Jordan on the first ballot. Following the first vote, I had genuine concerns about the threatening tactics and pressure campaigns Jordan and his allies were using to leverage members for their votes.

I discussed this directly with Jim, and planned to support him on the second ballot. When the pressure campaigns and attacks on fellow members ramped up, it became clear to me that the House Republican Conference does not need a bully as the Speaker.

I cast my vote for Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a principled conservative and unifying leader.
Shortly after casting that vote, my family and I started receiving death-threats. That is simply unacceptable, unforgivable, and will never be tolerated.”

While Democrats are enjoying the Republican clown show (to a point), Republicans don't like it when they receive death threats from other Republicans.

 

[ATeam]

Yep - what seemed like a good idea only lasted about an hour in the meeting they had. Then they decide to do the same thing again expecting a different result. Isn't that the definition of insanity?

That very thought has crossed my mind.

 

[ATeam]

Democrats Beginning to Name Their Price

As US House Republicans continue their circular firing squad and weaken their caucus, it is becoming increasingly clear that they literally cannot extract themselves from the House leadership mess they created. They will need Democratic help to restore the House to order. That help won't come for free. The Democrats will have a number of conditions that must be met to help solve the speaker crisis.

I was quite pleased to read today that the Democrats will support no candidate for House speaker who did not vote to certify the 2020 election. By dis-empowering themselves with their dysfunctional ways, the Republicans have guaranteed that no election denier will become Speaker of the House.

I'm not sure what additional conditions Democrats will demand, but there will be more.

When the history of this episode is written, students will shake their heads in disbelief. A party that held the majority in the US House, adopted a rule that weakened all Republican members while empowering any self-serving loudmouth or a small group of them to wreak havoc. Then the Republicans could not unify to use their majority power to elect their leader of choice. Splitting into factions, none of them had the power to win but all of them had and used the power to make everyone else lose. Then they started making death threats against each other. And on, and on, and on ... while the Democrats sit back and enjoy the show, patiently waiting for the opportunity to step in to save the day, and collect their price for doing so.

This is a truly remarkable episode of a party's collapse. It is my prayer that the damage is limited to the House and not the country. But we'll have to wait a while to see how that turns out. I'm confident the voters will set this right in the 2024 election. The Republicans will lose their House majority and they very much deserve to reap that fruit.

 

[RLENT]

The Republicans Have a Plan. What Could Go Wrong?

House plans third vote for Jordan while Democrats eye power-sharing deal

The House will hold a vote for speaker later Thursday to give Republican nominee Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio a third shot at the gavel as he struggles to convince nearly two dozen holdouts to back him.

www.washingtontimes.com

Mmmm ... everything ?

 

[ATeam]

Something Seems Different

We're seeing not the occasional report but multiple reports about US House members and their families receiving death threats after they voted against Jim Jordan for speaker. In another case, a landlord, citing the House member's anti-Jordan vote, canceled the lease for the member's office space.

Sadly, threats and attacks on public officials are part of the American landscape. Every now and then we read news stories about a threat or attack of some sort that targets an elected official. But this seems different in a couple of ways.

First is the frequency. Multiple threats are being made around a single issue; namely, the election of Jim Jordan for speaker.

Second is the intra-party nature of these threats. The threats are not being made by Democrats. You don't threaten someone who votes the way you want them to vote. These blood-curdling threats are presumably being made by Republicans who support Jim Jordan. And they are directed toward fellow Republicans.

In my lifetime, I've never seen anything like this ... members of one party making multiple violent threats against members of their own party.

And no, these threats are not false-flag operations organized by Antifa. A number of Jordon supporters are, for some reason, incensed that their guy is turning out to be a loser, and they are making illegal threats against fellow party members to express their displeasure ... threats against seated US House members and their families.

For his part, Jordan is saying the right things, but it appears to make little difference. Per Google Bard:

Jim Jordan has publicly condemned the death threats against Republican House members who voted against him for Speaker. In a statement, he said that "violence and threats of violence are never acceptable" and that he "urges anyone with information about these threats to contact the Capitol Police." He also said that he has "spoken with several of the members who have received threats and offered them my support."

In addition to his public statement, Jordan has also reportedly reached out to the members who have received threats privately to offer his support. He has also been working with the Capitol Police to investigate the threats.

Jordan's condemnation of the threats is consistent with his previous statements on violence. In the past, he has said that "there is no place for violence in our political discourse" and that "we should all be able to disagree without resorting to threats or intimidation."

 

[Ragman]

Something Seems Different

We're seeing not the occasional report but multiple reports about US House members and their families receiving death threats after they voted against Jim Jordan for speaker. In another case, a landlord, citing the House member's anti-Jordan vote, canceled the lease for the member's office space.

Sadly, threats and attacks on public officials are part of the American landscape. Every now and then we read news stories about a threat or attack of some sort that targets an elected official. But this seems different in a couple of ways.

First is the frequency. Multiple threats are being made around a single issue; namely, the election of Jim Jordan for speaker.

Second is the intra-party nature of these threats. The threats are not being made by Democrats. You don't threaten someone who votes the way you want them to vote. These blood-curdling threats are presumably being made by Republicans who support Jim Jordan. And they are directed toward fellow Republicans.

In my lifetime, I've never seen anything like this ... members of one party making multiple violent threats against members of their own party.

And no, these threats are not false-flag operations organized by Antifa. A number of Jordon supporters are, for some reason, incensed that their guy is turning out to be a loser, and they are making illegal threats against fellow party members to express their displeasure ... threats against seated House members and their families.

This is all due to anger, Anger brought on by the Maga movement. Maga thrives on anger. Maga has nothing to offer other than anger. Seeing that blaming the Democrats for their ineptitude in governing isn't working, they have turned their natural anger on fellow Republicans.

 

[ATeam]

This is all due to anger, Anger brought on by the Maga movement. Maga thrives on anger. Maga has nothing to offer other than anger. Seeing that blaming the Democrats for their ineptitude in governing isn't working, they have turned their natural anger on fellow Republicans.

I had similar thoughts. And it seems to me the anger is growing because they are finding out that anger does not work in the long run. Trump is indicted and thrashing about under judges that increasingly restrict him and prosecutors close in. Trump's behavior in recent speeches is prompting even his followers to wonder about his cognitive state. And now, a possible new hero, Jordan, who trades in anger, can't even get elected by his fellow Republicans. That makes angry people more angry and we're seeing the results now.

 

[Pilgrim]

Something Seems Different

We're seeing not the occasional report but multiple reports about US House members and their families receiving death threats after they voted against Jim Jordan for speaker. In another case, a landlord, citing the House member's anti-Jordan vote, canceled the lease for the member's office space.

Which House member? Also, wouldn't such an action be in violation of the terms of the lease?

These blood-curdling threats are presumably being made by Republicans who support Jim Jordan. And they are directed toward fellow Republicans.

Presumably? Who's making threats against whom? This is all very vague, and there are legal consequences for this kind of stuff.

And no, these threats are not false-flag operations organized by Antifa. A number of Jordon supporters are, for some reason, incensed that their guy is turning out to be a loser, and they are making illegal threats against fellow party members to express their displeasure ... threats against seated US House members and their families.

Once again, who specifically is making death threats? The FBI has ways to uncover people who make blood curdling death threats.

 

[Pilgrim]

This is all due to anger, Anger brought on by the Maga movement. Maga thrives on anger. Maga has nothing to offer other than anger. Seeing that blaming the Democrats for their ineptitude in governing isn't working, they have turned their natural anger on fellow Republicans.

I had similar thoughts... And now, a possible new hero, Jordan, who trades in anger...

1. Who is MAGA? Biden, the Democrats, and the media have done a bang-up job of turning this acronym into a perjorative, but who does this slur apply to?

2. Jordan trades in anger? Does he encourage his supporters to go out and get in people's faces like Maxine Waters did? Are there any examples of his trading in anger?

 

[muttly]

Yep - what seemed like a good idea only lasted about an hour in the meeting they had. Then they decide to do the same thing again expecting a different result. Isn't that the definition of insanity?

That describes what was happening before McCarthy was ousted. McHenry would be the status quo and just “kicking the can down the road” and doing the same thing over and over again.