Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday predicted that the House will “probably” change the rules around the motion to vacate in the next Congress, months after eight Republicans banded with Democrats to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) using the procedural maneuver.
Johnson — speaking at a kickoff press conference during the House GOP’s annual retreat in West Virginia — said he is not personally advocating for a change to the motion to vacate, but added it’s being openly discussed among lawmakers.
“The motion to vacate is something that comes up a lot amongst members and discussion. … I expect there will probably be a change to that as well. But just so you know, I’ve never advocated for that; I’m not one who’s making it into this issue, because I don’t think it is one for now,” Johnson said.
It’s still annoying how they phrase it:
after eight Republicans banded with Democrats to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) using the procedural maneuver.
Republicans couldn’t get enough votes to keep McCarthy.
It’s not like Dems politically manuerved some Republicans to the Dem side. The ones voting against McCarthy were doing it because they were more rightwing than McCarthy
Johnson is too old for Gaetz,
It’s simply dishonest.
There already was a change, the current rules were new for this Congress and meant to keep the Speaker on a short leash while Matt Gaetz does… well… whatever he normally does when he has a human on a leash.
If Democrats get a majority in the next Congress, it is guaranteed they will go back to the old rules.
meant to keep the Speaker on a short leash while Matt Gaetz does… well… whatever he normally does when he has a human on a leash.
Matt Gaetz has no interest in doing to members of Congress what he normally does when he has a human on a leash. You have to be at least 25 to become a representative, that’s at least a decade too old for him.
When you can’t win legitimately, change the rules.
More like you reap what you sow.
This is a question of recently changed House rules. McCarthy was so desperate to have a tenure, any tenure, as Speaker that he stripped all the insulation that even a hyperpartisan speaker normally needs to get routine business done. This has been a drag on Republicans, as congressional obstructionism is red meat for the base, but plays against them in particular with swing voters, so the speaker needed political cover to do the bare minimum to look like they’re functional legislators.
Any Freedom Caucus idiot can demand a vote now, and since Democrats have absolutely zero motivation not to vote for their preferred candidate, a narrowly divided house requires almost unanimous support from the GOP. This means you’ve got 7 or 8 unusually ripe assholes (even by Congress standards) holding up stuff that could easily have 80-90% support even in this political climate.
