McCarthy’s allies want to postpone the day but he may not have the votes to delay Wednesday’s vote, sources say
House Republicans’ failure to elect a speaker on Tuesday after several rounds of voting doesn’t just negate the GOP’s leadership role – it’s Holds many functions of the chamber.
The position is traditionally appointed on the first day of the new Parliament, followed by the swearing-in of new members, but with the squabble continuing into Wednesday, elected members still not yet sworn in.
Upcoming lawmakers hit the floor on Tuesday with their families, were expected to pose for photos and start their first day as legislators, but instead, they was greeted with a few hours of waiting as the speaker election went through several rounds of voting – the first time in 100 years.
Each new Congress has to pass a new set of House rules, so without a speaker overseeing the application of those rules, technically no rules would exist.
Without the House Rules package approved by the end of January 13, committees will not be able to pay staff, according to a letter sent last week by the administrative affairs committee, was first reported by Politico and obtained by CNN.
The same memo warned that student loan payments to committee staff would not be disbursed if the rule package was not passed by mid-January.
It’s just one of the many ways the battle for the next speaker could cripple the House and effectively run the Republican majority in the opening days, with some of the harshest penalties. for regular employees.
For committees that do not have a chairperson, they will be temporarily headed by a top-ranking Republican on the committee, who also served on the committee in the last Congress, according to the letter sent in. last week.
But without fully functioning committees to amend and pass bills before they are put on the floor for a vote, there will be little legislation. That means Republicans may also have to wait before addressing some of their most pressing priorities, including investigations into President Joe Biden’s administration and family.
In addition to effectively running the House of Representatives, the speaker is on the presidential line of succession — raising the question of what would happen if no one were on the second list to run for president. after the vice president.
The President pro tempore of the Senate is third in line. Senator Patty Murray was elected to that role on Tuesday, making the Washington Democrat the first woman to hold the office.
