The vote for Speaker of the House is a type of government procedure that Americans often overlook, but yesterday’s highly unusual vote has important implications for the future of the Republican Party and how it is governed. of this party.
On the first day of the majority, House Republicans could not agree on who should lead them. Representative Kevin McCarthy has sought to be a speaker for years, but some far-right members of his party have refused to support him. It was the first time in 100 years that the House of Representatives failed to elect a speaker on its first ballot, and lawmakers adjourned after three votes without making a choice. The Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, received even more votes than McCarthy in all three rounds of voting.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right legislator who became a close ally of McCarthy, accused her hard-liners of “playing Russian roulette with the majority of our Republics that we are Republican.” hard to find.” Bill Huizenga, another McCarthy advocate, asked his colleagues, “Aren’t you guys interested in running?”
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who has supported McCarthy, refuse to say after voting if he is consistent with his endorsement. (McCarthy later said that he spoke to Trump and still has his support.)
Part of McCarthy’s problem is that his party holds a narrow margin in the House, with 222 seats to Democrats’ 212. So he needs support from the Republican right wing to get the majority he needs to be a speaker. But it is only part of the story.
Republicans also disagree on what the party is and what it should stand for: Should it continue down the path Trump started when he won the Republican presidential nomination in 2016? Or should the party moderate and accept more compromises to consolidate power?
“There are some legislators in this group who never liked McCarthy and never trusted him,” said my colleague Catie Edmondson, who is in charge of Congress. “They see him as an extension of the DC facility they want to tear down.”
The answers to these questions will help shape how Republicans will govern — whether they will stick to their uncompromising version of Trumpism or adopt a more moderate stance to win more voters. Regardless of the outcome, the votes have shown there is a powerful group of right-wing legislators who won’t be afraid to show their weight, Catie said.
Today’s newsletter will examine the possible consequences for the Republican Party and the country.
Trumpism or not?
The Republican rift in the House is the latest example of a broader debate within the party: Should Republicans fully embrace Trumpism?
McCarthy swore allegiance to Trump, who referred to him as “my Kevin”. But while McCarthy flirts with members of the far right, he is more politically pragmatic than most of the far right in the party. He believes that for Republicans to achieve anything, they must nominate more moderate candidates who can win swing districts. And to pass major bills, Republicans can sometimes have to compromise.
McCarthy’s Republican opponents take a tougher approach. Many people do not believe in compromising with politicians who do not believe in Trumpism. They want to remove Trump critics from the party. And they don’t believe McCarthy will deliver on that vision.
These ideological divisions have fueled many debates about who should speak next. They are also fueling other debates within the party, including over who should be the party’s presidential candidate in 2024.
Not compromise
In partisan politics, the extremists often confront more moderate figures. What’s unusual about modern-day far-right lawmakers is their willingness to refuse to compromise and take on their own leaders. They effectively expelled two former Republican speakers, John Boehner and Paul Ryan. McCarthy herself had to withdraw from the speaker race in 2015 after a right-wing uprising, making way for Ryan’s candidacy.
Since then, McCarthy has made offers to ultra-conservatives to bolster their support. An example: Before yesterday’s vote, he announced that he would only allow five lawmakers to convene to vote at any time to remove the speaker. The move is a change from his previous stance against a snap vote outright, but it still doesn’t align with the views of party hardliners, who say Such a vote requires only one legislator to propose.
The concession was not enough for the ultra-conservatives, who still considered McCarthy too moderate. The Right-wing Club for Development released a statement on Monday indicating it opposes McCarthy’s bid for the speaker position unless he meets specific requirements. It criticized Republican super-PAC spending in the primaries, which McCarthy took advantage of to promote more moderate candidates.
Potential consequences
Because Republicans do not control the Senate or the White House, their infighting in the House may not lead to wide-ranging and immediate consequences.
But House Republicans have some work they want to accomplish and need a speaker, particularly staffing House committees to investigate the Biden administration. A protracted debate over who should lead the House has slowed those demands.
And finally, a split House majority could lead to more government shutdowns and an economic meltdown if Republicans cannot secure votes on the bills to pass.
At the very least, the situation is a preview of Republican struggles to get through the 2020 election.
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