Republicans Fume About the Price of a Speakerless House
GOP wants Hunter Biden, Mayorkas and the IRS investigated. They must first agree on a speaker.
Getty Images Joseph Simonson • January 4, 2023 6:00 pm
Hunter Biden was subpoenaed, Alejandro Mayorkas, the Department of Homeland Security secretary, was impeached, and President Joe Biden’s plan for thousands of IRS agents to be hired were stopped. These were supposed to be top priorities on the House agenda. However, Republicans could delay their plans for weeks, months or even forever if they fail to find a Speaker of the House after two years of Democratic total control of the government.
House Republicans are angry at the chaotic Capitol and most of them support Kevin McCarthy (R. from Calif.) for the job. Washington Free Beacon interviewed Republican members to learn their limitations in executing basic constituent services and setting up email staff.
“If we had elected Kevin McCarthy speaker we would have already voted to defund the 87,000 new IRS agents, new border security measures, and a select committee on China,” Rep. Michael Waltz (R. Fla.), spoke at the Free Beacon. “We would also be sending notices to the Biden administration that we’re coming for answers on the FBI, Department of Justice, the Afghanistan withdrawal, and conflicts of interest surrounding the Biden family.”
The legislative body stops if there is no House speaker. Members cannot be sworn into office, introduce legislation or issue subpoenas. For all intents and purposes, the United States currently doesn’t have a House of Representatives. Political consequences can also be a result of the inability to find a House Speaker. As the fight drags on, Biden’s chances of winning reelection in 2024 are less likely to be supervised by hearings or subpoenas.
The effectiveness of Congress in inflicting damage upon a president or future presidential candidate has been demonstrated by congressional investigations into Hillary Clinton’s role and that of former president Donald Trump. Clinton was subject to over a year’s scrutiny by the House Republicans for her involvement in Benghazi as secretary of state, and her use private email servers to conduct professional business. This investigation ended when she lost her second presidential bid in 2016. The Democrats spent almost four years investigating Trump’s administration.
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