Congress Continues to Wait, for a New House Speaker to Be Named.
Associated Press reports that Republican
debate over who will be the next Speaker
of the House has stalled the 118th Congress. .
After several votes, Kevin McCarthy hasn't been able to secure the position.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are growing restless, demanding that if he can't garner enough votes, he should step aside and stop wasting time.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are growing restless, demanding that if he can't garner enough votes, he should step aside and stop wasting time.
Without a speaker, no member of the House
of Representatives can be officially sworn in,
meaning the Congress can't convene or vote on rules. .
At the same time, no committees
can be formed and legislation
cannot be passed.
According to AP, a resolution to the standstill
seemed distant as members of the House
appeared unable to proceed on December 4.
I don’t know what my status is. I don’t know
if I have health care, I don’t know if my staff
get paid. We’re looking at all of that now
because this hasn’t happened for 100 years, Ted Lieu, Democratic Representative
of California, via Associated Press.
It is the first time in 100 years that
members of the House were not signed in
on the first day of a new Congress.
In 1923, it took three days to complete
the process of choosing a new speaker. .
In 1855, the process was
dragged out over two months. .
It’s a very strange limbo.
We are operating by precedent, Madeleine Dean, Democratic Representative of Pennsylvania, via Associated Press.
We have no exit strategy, Ralph Norman, Republican Representative of
South Carolina, via Associated Press