Speaker of the U.S. House of Representative is second in line to become President of the United States (after the Vice President).
In the concluded November 2022 election, out of 435 members, Republican Party has 222 members and Democrats have 212 members with one vacancy (due to death).
To be elected Speaker of the House, one needs to get 218 votes. The Republican Party nominated Mr. Kevin McCarthy to be the Speaker. With a 4-member majority, he should have won without any problem. But 20 Republican members do not like Mr. McCarthy. They decided not to vote for him. (They are Trump supporters but Trump wanted McCarthy.) Funny thing was opponents of Kevin McCarthy nominated at one point Jim Jordan. However, Jim Jordan supported and nominated Kevin McCarthy.
I said in the title "House Speaker Election Circus". Actually, I should have named it Republican Party Mutiny. It took 15 rounds (for 4 days) of voting to finally elect Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House. About 160 years ago only, it took more than this many rounds to elect the Speaker.
These newly elected Republicans to the House who are now the ruling majority now saying (in my imagination): I am a Republican and I am here to help the country. Trust us.
They cannot even agree to elect a leader to be their speaker. And it took 15 rounds with lots of concession to the mutineers.
I think this is a relatively smaller issue compared to the drama in the waiting, when the next president would take over!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Rajesh. You think US House of Rep Speaker is similar to Indian Lok Sabha Speaker. It is not. The Speaker of the House is an immensely powerful role that allows for near-total control over the chamber's functions.
DeleteThe Speaker sets the House's legislative agenda, controls committee assignments, sets the vote and work calendar, and is responsible for keeping their party members unified behind major initiatives.
He/She can make or break a US president's agenda, stymie opposition, and spearhead their party's biggest legislative initiatives.
In other words, he/she is leader of the majority party in the House. Similar to Indian Prime Minister.
DeleteThis was quite bizarre! Circus and drama sound like understatements! Generally, American politics is getting in headlines for all the wrong reasons. Now how dramatic the 2024 elections will be, remains to be seen.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Pradeep.
DeleteCircus is the word
ReplyDelete