Leave it to the GOP.
When you have to please the lowest common denominator, you have to please the lowest, most ridiculous ideas, and that is just what McCarthy was forced to do when conceding to a rule that would allow just five members of the House to call what amounts to a no-confidence vote and replace the Speaker. Some Republicans were pushing for just one person to be able to call for a vote.
McCarthy just set up a system by which the members most hostile to him can hold him hostage over any piece of legislation. As it looks increasingly likely that Rep. Santos may not be serving this team, it would leave the Democrats just four votes short of taking over completely. The rule would apply to Democrats, to also vote for a floor vote for a new speaker.
And yet what can McCarthy do? According to CNN reports:
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has offered a key concession to critics of his bid for the House speakership during private conversations this week: reducing the threshold that is required to force a floor vote on ousting the sitting speaker.
One of the numbers that has come up in recent conversations between McCarthy and GOP lawmakers – and which has not been previously reported – is a five-person threshold, according to two of the Republican sources.
Currently, the majority of the House GOP is required to call for the so-called motion to vacate the speaker’s chair. But some conservative hardliners are pushing for a single member to be able to call for such a vote.
If it ever got down to just a single member, I can’t think of how it wouldn’t be chaos in the House and the united Democrats could nearly takeover were it not for the damned rule about the speaker alone deciding which bills get a vote. McCarthy didn’t come by this by accident. He earned this problem.
Last, interestingly enough, if DeSantis hadn’t “ordered” (and that is how it works in Florida) that five districts be split up in south Florida so as to be GOP districts, the Repubs wouldn’t have an advantage at all.
Well done. And, Kevin, if you become speaker, get used to five votes determining everything within a bill. It will happen every time.
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[email protected], @JasonMiciak, SUBSTACK: DEMOCRATS COULD DOMINATE TWO DECADES IF THEY HANDLE 2023 CORRECTLY
If Kevin lasts as Speaker for 6 months I will be very surprised. I don’t think he can keep the crazies in line.
Kevin McCarthy and his MAGA morons.
maybe he can last as long as a head of lettuce
Yeah the Tea party forced Bohner to go into the ‘tea’ business. Cannabis. The devil’s weed. ” It will turn our youth into a nation of hooligans and whores”…Reefer Madness, the film Hearst put together in the 30s to protect his timber interests. I guess Mccarthy will turn to crystal meth.
Anything for the gavel, eh, Kevin? What was done to Boehner and Ryan will be done to you…and likely much quicker…should this prove enough.
I hope the morons world comes crashing down upon him! And I hope the Independents & Democrats pay great attention to the NEXT 2 YEARS! The gop should be sent into the wilderness for many decades for what they are about to do! It will all be worth the fighting if they destroy themselves in the process!!!
He is one of the crazies. He may be even dumber than Trump, if that is possible.