The 119th Congress ought to be getting sworn in on Friday. Nonetheless, the Republican Get together’s incapability to behave like rational adults might throw a wrench in that plan.
That is as a result of it seems to be like Speaker Mike Johnson doesn’t have the votes to win a brand new time period as speaker on the primary poll. With no speaker, members can’t be sworn in. And with none members, the Home is not capable of conduct any enterprise—together with gathering for a joint session on Jan. 6 to certify Donald Trump’s unlucky victory.
Johnson can afford to lose only one vote and nonetheless turn out to be speaker, because the GOP has a particularly slim majority with simply 219 seats.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, is a particular no on Johnson’s speakership.
“You can pull all my fingernails out. You can shove bamboo up in them. You can start cutting off my fingers. I am not voting for Mike Johnson tomorrow, and you can take that to the bank,” Massie stated in an interview on now-former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s new present on little-watched right-wing community One America Information.
Only one extra GOP defection would trigger Johnson to fall beneath a majority, and based on Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, he and quite a lot of different Home Republicans are not but set on voting for Johnson.
Trump, for his half, wished Johnson nicely within the race, and gave Johnson his blessing.
“Good luck today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support,” Trump wrote in a Fact Social put up. “A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election!! – A BIG AFFIRMATION, INDEED. MAGA!”
Johnson thanked Trump for the endorsement, including that “Congressional Republicans must stay united to quickly deliver President Trump’s America First agenda.”
Nevertheless it’s unclear whether or not Trump’s endorsement shall be sufficient, as GOP hardliners who refuse to confess the fact that lawmaking requires compromise are indignant that Johnson negotiated with Democrats to hold the federal government funded and open.
But with most issues for these Republican hardliners, they haven’t thought so far as to what occurs after they block Johnson from successful on the primary poll. For the time being, nobody has stated they’ll problem Johnson for the gavel. And with out an alternate, these Republicans are merely delaying the inevitable.
It’s like deja vu from 2023, when it took 15 rounds of voting earlier than former Speaker Kevin McCarthy gained the gavel.
Finally, even when Johnson does win, he may have the unenviable job of lording over an ungovernable Republican convention with the narrowest majority in a era. On condition that he might barely hold Republicans collectively on a speaker vote doesn’t instill confidence that he’ll have the ability to shepherd Trump’s agenda via Congress.
Johnson’s speakership, nevertheless, shall be safer than McCarthy’s, as Republicans are set to vote on a guidelines change that may make it tougher to oust a speaker.
All the drama is about to start at midday.
Like Trump stated, good luck, Mike! You’ll want it—it doesn’t matter what occurs.
