Roving Periscope: Ousting its first House Speaker, the US makes history since 1776
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Come September, we all have springs in our feet. But as the month of October approaches each year, the world’s attention gets focused on the United States, Sweden, and Norway.
On Washington, because the Opposition ritually flexes its muscles and tries to stall the Administration’s funding ahead of the new financial year, until the last hours. But, finally, it relents on September 30.
In the Scandinavian countries, however, it is the season of the Nobel Prize announcements to tell the world who are amongst the brightest minds this year.
This year also, the Opposition Republicans did what the Democrats do towards the end of September each year. But there was a difference ahead.
For the first time in US history on Tuesday, the House of Representatives in the US Capitol saw Kevin McCarthy become the first Speaker to be ousted from the Lower House of the bicameral Parliament. Installed only in January 2023, his was the shortest tenure as a Speaker in the last 247 years.
Eight lawmakers of his own Grand Old (Republican) Party brought about his downfall—indicating they could support Donald Trump’s re-entry into the inner-party politics ahead of his likely nomination for the next year’s Presidential poll.
Soon after the McCarthy ouster, the House went on a recess until October 10 with lawmakers heading home to their districts. Until a new Speaker is chosen, the House likely cannot conduct votes on legislation like pending fiscal 2024 spending bills, the media reported on Tuesday.
The Conservative Republican revolt that brought down McCarthy has paralyzed the House, raising the chances of a US government shutdown next month and a delay in further Ukraine assistance, until his successor takes office.
Of course, Patrick McHenry, the Republican lawmaker from North Carolina, is now the Pro-Tem Speaker, but, he has limited powers and cannot normally conduct legislative business. His primary task is to organize the election of a new Speaker. If an impasse continues, the House could grant McHenry time-limited authority to preside over debate and vote on ordinary bills, but only by a majority.
House committees can conduct business, however. That means the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden can continue, and two spending bills still before the Appropriations Committee can be approved there.
If he decides not to run again, McCarthy’s successor can be found early.
McHenry has announced to hold elections for a new Speaker on October 11. A day before, the House Republican majority will hold a closed-door forum, where candidates can put themselves up for the job. The conference would then vote to select their nominee for speakership. If a strong candidate emerges, McHenry plans to proceed with votes on the floor to install a new speaker.
The Speaker’s election will be conducted by a roll call vote on the floor of the House of Representatives. With two vacancies in the 435-member lower chamber, a candidate must get 217 votes to win if all members showed up and voted, and none abstained by voting “present.”
In January, McCarthy became Speaker, but only after a record 15 ballots. Uniting the Republican conference behind a consensus candidate will be difficult, given the differing goals of swing-district moderates and ultraconservatives who ousted McCarthy, the reports said.
While the Republicans have many candidates, the Democrats have an easier path ahead as they could stick to nominating Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority leader.
