Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected speaker of the US House of Representatives on Saturday after five days of chaotic voting. But his appointment came after making major concessions to the ultraconservative party bloc.
The 57-year-old representative from California suffered one final humiliation when Representative Matt Gaetz held his vote on the 14th ballot as midnight approached, sparking a fight in which fellow Republican Mike Rogers had to be physically pulled away.
McCarthy’s victory in the 15th ballot ended the deepest congressional dysfunction in more than 160 years. But it poignantly illustrates the difficulty he will face in leading a narrow and highly polarized majority.
He ended up winning by a margin of 216-212. He was able to get elected with less than half the votes of the House only because six in his own party withheld their votes – not supporting McCarthy as leader, but also not voting for any other contenders.
Republicans’ weaker-than-expected performance in the November midterm elections left them with a narrow 222-212 majority, which has given major strength to the radical right wing opposed to McCarthy’s leadership.
As he picked up the gavel for the first time, McCarthy represented the end of President Joe Biden’s Democratic grip on both chambers of Congress.
“Our system is built on checks and balances. It’s time for us to be watchdogs and provide balance to the president’s policies,” McCarthy said in his inaugural address, which set out a range of priorities, including spending cuts and immigration.
Like the two most recent Republican speakers, John Boehner and Paul Ryan, McCarthy presided over a turbulent and rebellious House majority, reflecting a split within the larger party itself, between what remained of the conservatives of the Grand Old Party and a new generation of tea. party-to-Donald Trump hardline.
Chaos in the House
The chaos that erupted on House voting days, halting the start of a new Congress, was the start of a very uncertain path ahead as McCarthy tries to lead an unruly Republican majority to achieve her priorities and confront President Biden’s agenda – and perhaps even defend it. See the article : The US Embassy presents: The Xtravaganza House in Peru. government from closing.
“This is the great part: Because it took so long, now we are learning how to govern,” McCarthy, who was first elected in 2006, suggested as he spiraled to victory.
McCarthy has emerged as a weak speaker, wielding less authority on paper than her predecessor, Democrat Nancy Pelosi. That’s especially true since he agreed to a hardline demand that a representative of the House could ask for his removal at any time.
That would sharply cut the powers he will wield as he tries to pass legislation on critical issues including funding the government, tackling the nation’s towering debt ceiling and any other crises that could arise.
“One of the naysayers, Matt Gaetz, who led the ultra-conservative wing of the Republican party against McCarthy, when asked by reporters why he changed his vote in the end, his response was: ‘Yes, he gave us everything we asked for. for,’” said Heidi Zhou-Castro of Al Jazeera.
“And that kind of sums up how much power Speaker McCarthy is forced to give to the [ultra] conservative wing of her party,” he reported from Washington, DC.
Still, McCarthy may be emboldened as a survivor who survived one of history’s most brutal struggles for power and who prided herself on being an underrated political warrior.
“Apparently, I love making history,” McCarthy said at one point during that boisterous week.
McCarthy staked her political career on early backing from Trump, and it was the former president who delivered when needed, making a belated phone call to defend and “help get that final vote”.
When it was finally over, as McCarthy walked into the speaker’s office in the Capitol, a sign with her name was hanging.
Challenges ahead
Many tests await the newly elected speaker. See the article : Season finale of “Stranger Things” Watch Party set by Scener and Netflix, with David Harbor and other cast members joining the live Q&A videos.
Congress faces an agenda of bills that must be passed to fund the government, replenish a military that has been depleted by decades of war and aid to Ukraine, pass an agricultural program and raise the nation’s borrowing limit to prevent an unprecedented federal default.
For the first time as president, Biden will face a divided government, with the House in Republican hands and the Senate still controlled, albeit narrowly, by Democrats.
A divided government can become a moment of bipartisan agreement-making as parties come together to work out big priorities. But more often, it results in sloppiness leading to deadlocks, deadlocks, and shutdowns.
Republicans are eager to confront Biden with scrutiny over the White House’s handling of the US-Mexico border, the COVID-19 crisis, and other issues, along with an investigation into Biden, his family, and his administration.
“One-third of the seats on the influential regulatory committee will go to the conservative wing of the party. [Why this matters,] this committee scrapped all laws before allowing it to hit the floor for debate or vote,” said Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that concessions McCarthy made to “extremists” in his party could come back to haunt him, and made it more likely that a Republican-controlled House would lead to government shutdown or failure with “devastating consequences”.
The concessions, including sharp spending cuts and other restrictions on McCarthy’s powers, could represent further volatility in the months ahead, especially when Congress needs to sign off on further increases in the United States’ lending authority of $31.4 trillion.
McCarthy’s belated victory came a day after the second anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attacks on the US Capitol, when a violent mob stormed Congress in an attempt to overturn then-President Trump’s election loss.
Why is the speaker of the House a powerful position quizlet?
the speaker of the house has the most powerful position in Congress. The speaker of the house has the power to decide billing, scheduling, appointing people, 3rd president. Read also : The extraordinary political storm unleashed by the FBI search of Trump’s Florida resort. Name Two important differences between the House and the Senate to “cool off” house law.
Why is the position of Speaker of the DPR so important? Role of the Speaker The speaker is the chairman of the DPR and is charged with various duties and responsibilities by law and by DPR regulations. As chairman of the DPR, the Speaker maintains order, directs the process, and manages the administration of the business.
What is the most powerful position in the House of Representatives?
The Speaker of the DPR is the second in line to replace the President, after the Vice President.
Why is the Speaker of the House so powerful?
The speaker’s powers and duties extend beyond presiding over the room. In particular, speakers have a great influence on the committee process. The speaker elects nine of the 13 members of the ruling Rules Committee, subject to the approval of an all-party majority.
Which president did not have a wife?
Tall, stately, formally stiff with stockings he wore high around his jawline, James Buchanan was the only President who never married. Leading a rapidly dividing Nation, Buchanan did not quite understand the political realities of the time.
Has there ever been one American President? In his private life, Buchanan never married and was the only US president to remain a bachelor for life, leading some historians and writers to question his sexual orientation. Buchanan died of respiratory failure in 1868 and was buried in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he lived for nearly 60 years.
Which US first lady was not the wife of the President?
One woman who did not marry a president is still considered the official first lady: Harriet Lane, bachelor niece of James Buchanan.
Who has the longest tenure as Speaker of the House?
The longest serving speaker is Sam Rayburn – 17 years, 53 days. Elected 10 times, he chaired the DPR three times: from September 1940 to January 1947; January 1949 to January 1953; and January 1955 to November 1961.
What is the term limit for the chairman of the DPR? Term ends at the conclusion of the Congress in which he was elected, unless he has resigned, died, or been removed from office. Deschler Ch 6 Sec. 2. During the 104th to 107th Congresses, the Speaker’s term of office is limited to four consecutive Congresses.
Who is the oldest speaker of the House of Representatives?
The youngest person elected to the office was Robert M. T. Hunter, aged 30 when he became speaker in 1839; the oldest person to be elected first was Henry T. Rainey in 1933, at the age of 72.
Who served the most years as Speaker of the House?
One of the most influential speakers in history was Democrat Sam Rayburn. Rayburn had the most cumulative time as a speaker in history, holding office from 1940 to 1947, 1949 to 1953, and 1955 to 1961. He helped draw up many bills, working quietly in the background with House committees.
