Posted on 01/05/2023 4:09:36 PM PST by Libloather
As Republicans scramble to seat a Speaker, Democratic leaders are urging their rank-and-file members to remain in Washington for the duration of the process - a strategy that will make it tougher for GOP leaders to resolve their historic dilemma to get the House up and running.
Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass.), the incoming Democratic whip, said Thursday morning that she’s calling on members of the caucus to forego any personal plans to ensure that all 212 Democrats are in their seats and voting on the chamber floor, for as long as the process goes on.
“And this is not a hard sell, because they understand what’s at stake,” Clark told reporters in the Capitol.
“This isn’t about events and celebrations that they have planned, which of course, you know, we would love to be able to do,” she continued. “But this is about the dangerous moment that we are in. And it is about the chaos that the Republicans are creating.
“So we have to be here to make sure that we are doing everything possible to end this crisis to get a functioning House of Representatives, and to get to work for the American people.”
The comments arrive on the third day of the new Republican majority, which has been mired in the GOP’s unsuccessful effort to fill the Speaker’s seat vacated by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is seeking the spot, and has the overwhelming support of his conference. But a small group of roughly 20 conservatives has blocked his path over the course of six separate votes conducted over the last 48 hours.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
If you go back a couple of weeks, Republicans like MTG were saying if people didn’t get in line with McCarthy, Hakeem Jeffries could become Speaker, either she was totally misinformed or she was lying.
If the Dems go home, McCarthy wins his prize, but where will that leave the bankrupt speaker?
Per some other threads, a plurality (number of members present) can elect the speaker.
How soon before the Dems leave, creating a plurality situation that hands the speakership to McCarthy without having to attain 218?
Just vote in Trump.
The democrats should just put McCarthy over the top, then he’ll owe them more than he already does.
Amazing, these 20 or so Conservative Republicans are the first ones ever to make Socialist Democrats show up for work!
Hmmm. If enough Democrats leave, Kevin could win because the majority required will diminish accordingly... However going missing at the crucial moment could lead to being unseated, because the Republican majority could vote to not seat the missing members as the first order of business…oooooh, it’s almost like a filibuster! They have to stick around to make sure they don’t get booted!
It is possible, but unlikely, he would become speaker.
Nancy allowed everyone to stay home through the whole virus shut down. There was no work going on inside the building.
Now getting stuff done is the highest priority.
“either she was totally misinformed or she was lying.”
All it would take are 6 flipped GOP votes or 11 “presents” to hand it to Jeffries. Somewhere out there are several GOP moderates drooling over the possibility of plum committee assignments in exchange for flipping for Jeffries.
Yep
This is the dims playing 3D checkers.
We are suppose to believe because the dims want McCarthy for speaker..he must be a good choice for the pubs.
Yep
This is the dims playing 3D checkers.
We are suppose to believe because the dims DO NOT want McCarthy for speaker..he must be a good choice for the pubs.
I would think the demonrats would want McCarthy unless they think they can get the dem in
And their career as a politicians would be over and they should be kicked out of the party, given how much politicians want to hold on to power, it would be suicide to switch party votes, that’s why IMO it would never happen.
Careers over? Well, that depends on how they frame it to their constituents.
I would say every Republican ran on turning back the Democratic agenda, then they went and voted for a Democrat to be speaker, the only framing at that is they lied to their constituents.
Think about, if you voted for someone who won as your Representative, and they voted for a Democrat to be Speaker, regardless of the framing, how would you feel.
IMO, enough people would be pissed off to cause the person to lose their next election.
“every Republican ran on turning back the Democratic agenda”
All they have to do is frame it (however wrongheaded it may be) as “wanting to get past this mess start with doing the work you sent me to do,” and depending on the constituency that elects them, that desire to turn back the dems’ agenda may vary in intensity.
And who’s to say there aren’t a few Congresscritters out there with an intention to wrap it up in 2024 and want to go out with a nice committee assignment?
The frustration with this logjam is going to only grow, and remember… only six malleable RINOs are needed.
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