Lawmakers express concern over House Speaker chaos during global crises, feeling paralyzed.
Stalemate Over Speaker of the House Leaves US Government Paralyzed
For more than two weeks, a stalemate over electing a speaker of the House has left the U.S. government hobbled and an important seat of American democracy shut down as the country faces crises at home and abroad.
“The government has shut down, it doesn’t look good that we’re paralyzed,” Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) told The Epoch Times. “We still have the war in Ukraine, we still have Israel, we have border security issues and while all this is going on we can’t pass any legislation at all.”
Mr. Cuellar is serving his tenth term in Congress and says in his nearly twenty years in the House of Representatives he’s never seen anything like this before.
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“This is a historic moment,”
It’s a perspective that’s shared by some Republicans as well.
“We’re living in a dangerous world, the world’s on fire, our adversaries are watching what we do and quite frankly, they like it,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) at a press conference on Oct. 12. “Chairman Xi talks about how Democracy doesn’t work, and we’re proving him right, and we need to fill the chair with a speaker.”
After Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted as speaker of the House on Oct. 3, Republicans have nominated two different candidates to fill the position, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
House Chaos Could Hurt GOP in 2024
The continued chaos in the House is painting a bad picture for Republicans with the 2024 elections looming, according to political insiders.
“It is absolutely hurting us. We should be talking about Joe Biden’s failures,” Republican political strategist Brian Seitchik told The Epoch Times. “Republicans disagree on some things, but we all uniformly agree that Joe Biden has been an abject failure for this country, bad for taxpayers, bad for those who want to secure the border. He has been such a failure on so many fronts and yet we are focused on our own internal civil war.”
Mr. Seitchik, who has advised Congressional campaigns across the country, says the GOP could be facing the consequences in future elections if a speaker isn’t elected.
“It’s going to adversely impact us next year as we head into the 2024 campaign. How can we, with a straight face, make the case that Joe Biden has failed in his job when the one part of the government, the Republicans do control, we can’t even open up for business?”
Options Going Forward
As the House remains paralyzed, there have been several different plans pitched to re-open the branch of government and get legislation passed—including choosing a different candidate for speaker.
“He doesn’t have the votes to be speaker,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) said after a late Thursday meeting when Mr. Jordan sought to hear detractors out and shore up support.
The holdouts want “nothing” from Mr. Jordan, Mr. Gimenez said, adding that some of the lawmakers in the meeting simply called on Mr. Jordan to drop out of the race.
An opposite move, to help elect Mr. Jordan, was proposed by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.):
“All 8 Republicans Who Voted to Remove McCarthy From Speakership Are Willing to Accept ‘Censure, Suspension, or Removal From the Conference’ In Order to Elect @Jim_Jordan as Speaker ‘If the holdouts who refuse to vote for Speaker-Designate Jim Jordan would be willing to ‘vote with the team’ and elect him the 56th House Speaker, we are prepared to accept censure, suspension, or removal from the Conference to accomplish this objective,’” Mr. Gaetz posted on X.
One extraordinary idea to give the interim speaker pro tempore Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) more powers for the next several months to at least bring the House back into session and conduct crucial business was swiftly rejected by Mr. Jordan’s own ultra-conservative allies.
A “betrayal,” said Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.).
Mr. McHenry reportedly told his colleagues he would resign in his role as speaker pro tempore if he were pushed to move legislation.
Another option that has been discussed is electing a speaker with the support of Democrats.
“I do not believe that we are yet at the point where we’re gonna have a coalition government. I could be wrong but I just don’t think we’re there yet,” said Mr. Seitchik. “I still think Republicans have some options. I have been a believer that Republicans would eventually settle on a new version of Dennis Hastert. Somebody whose name was not part of the initial equation, somebody that didn’t necessarily want the job or campaigned for the job, but somebody that would be agreeable by both sides.”
The next steps are highly uncertain as frustrated lawmakers predict the House could essentially stay closed for the foreseeable future—perhaps until the mid-November deadline for Congress to approve funding or risk a federal government shutdown.
“We can come to Nov. 17, which is when the continuing resolution runs out if and we don’t have a speaker by that time, literally we could have a government shut down,” said Cuellar.
What are the consequences of the current stalemate over electing a speaker of the House for American democracy?
E an official party candidate were to endorse his election,'” Mr. Gaetz tweeted.
Other options include bringing in a candidate from outside Congress or having a temporary speaker appointed until consensus can be reached.
The Impact on American Democracy
The stalemate over the speaker of the House not only highlights the dysfunction within the U.S. government but also undermines American democracy as a whole.
The speaker of the House plays a crucial role in the legislative process, setting the agenda, determining which bills come to the floor for a vote, and representing the House in negotiations with the executive branch and the Senate.
Without a speaker, important legislation cannot be implemented, and the government remains in a state of paralysis. The current stalemate is leaving the U.S. unable to address pressing domestic and international challenges.
Furthermore, the lack of a speaker sends a message to the rest of the world that the U.S. government is in disarray and unable to effectively govern itself. This weakens America’s position on the global stage and diminishes its ability to influence and lead in international affairs.
The Urgency for Resolution
Given the critical role of the speaker of the House and the dire consequences of the current stalemate, it is imperative that the impasse be resolved as soon as possible.
The American people elected their representatives to govern and make decisions on their behalf. The ongoing gridlock prevents the government from fulfilling its responsibilities to the nation.
Furthermore, the longer the stalemate persists, the greater the potential damage to American democracy and the Republican Party’s chances in the upcoming 2024 elections.
It is incumbent upon the members of Congress to put aside their differences, prioritize the needs of the nation, and come together to elect a speaker who can lead and govern effectively.
In Conclusion
The stalemate over electing a speaker of the House has brought the U.S. government to a standstill during a time of significant domestic and international challenges.
This impasse not only hampers the ability to pass critical legislation but also damages American democracy and weakens the country’s standing on the global stage.
The urgency for resolution cannot be overstated,
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