Tag: Speaker of the House

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Congress GOP

House Republican Pillories Matt Gaetz In Letter Dripping With Sarcasm And Snark

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) might want to take a few days of personal leave from the U.S. House of Representatives, because it seems like each day brings more bad news for him and the GOP as they continue to fumble around in their search for the next speaker of the House.

This time, the criticism is coming from inside the House GOP caucus itself, as Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) has completely excoriated Gaetz and other Republican extremists who were successful in removing former speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from his post, but cannot manage to find a replacement that gets the required 217 votes.

In a letter dripping with sarcasm, McClintock directs his comments to Gaetz and seven other right-wing House members who booted out McCarthy despite having no plan for who would follow him.

“Dear Wayward Colleague,” the letter begins. “Your letter of October 20, in which you graciously offer to martyr yourselves as long as you can get your way, is perhaps the most selfless act in American history.”

McClintock then adds:

“Your sacrifice is not in vain. You have succeeded in replacing the outdated concept of majority rule with an exciting new standard that a Speaker must be elected by 98.2 percent of the Republican conference. Someday, a messiah will be born unto us who can achieve this miraculous threshold, and on that day your judgment will be vindicated and you will be hailed as the geniuses that you are.”

But perhaps the most hilarious and utterly sarcastic portion of the letter brings to mind the fact that Gaetz and his fellow extremists shouldn’t be taken seriously, but have to be because they’re holding the entire country hostage at a time when the United States is trying to bolster two allies, Israel and Ukraine, but no aid can be sent to those two countries because the House is in complete disarray,.

“I think we were all truly humbled to learn that your ‘fidelity to Republican virtues and principles remains unwavering.’ Who could not be moved to tears to read that you offer your self-sacrifice ‘sincerely and with the hope of unity with purpose?’

“With this in mind, I modestly suggest that you plan your martyrdom in the only way that truly matters: to have the wisdom to see the damage you have done to our country and to have the courage to set things right before it is too late. I enclose a proposed resolution that perhaps one of you can offer as we begin the fourth week of national paralysis and as the world burns around us.”

Reading the letter, it sort of makes you wonder if perhaps Tom McClintock should put his name into consideration for speaker of the House. If nothing else, his speech to the Congress would be epic and unforgettable.

Here’s the full letter, via Juilegrace Brufke of Axios:

 

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Congress GOP

Nancy Pelosi Lays The Ultimate Burn On The GOP After They Fail To Elect Jim Jordan As Speaker

Another day, another failed attempt by House Republicans to elect a speaker of the House.

After pushing through a vote this afternoon that some in the GOP were hoping might see Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) get enough votes to be the next speaker, the Ohio Republican instead got humiliated by garnering fewer votes that Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the Washington Post reported.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a conservative firebrand allied with former president Donald Trump, failed to win over enough Republican holdouts to reach a majority on the House floor to become the next speaker. The Ohio Republican confirmed Tuesday evening there would not be another round of voting until at least 11 a.m. on Wednesday.Jordan is seeking to succeed Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was ousted as speaker two weeks ago. Jordan became the Republican nominee after Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the first choice of the GOP conference, withdrew from the race last week.

Jordan could only afford to lose three GOP votes. Instead, he lost 20, suggesting that his support is dropping with each passing day.

As members of Congress walked off the House floor, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) commented, “I feel sad for the institution. I think it’s sad that they’re getting worse and worse.”

But it was what she said next that may well be the perfect summation of Republican dysfunction:

“They should take a lesson in mathematics and learn how to count.”

Game, set, and match Nancy Pelosi. Mic drop.

 

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Congress GOP

Some Republicans Threatening To Not Show For Next Speaker Vote And Allow Hakeem Jeffries To Win

Sometime next week, it’s expected that Republicans will call a vote to determine the next speaker of the House, but their leading candidate, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) appears less certain to get the 217 votes needed to win the post, which has led to both concern and shock among the GOP, according to Politico.

It also leaves Jordan with a dilemma: Should he attempt to paint himself as a “team player” or “revert back to the tough tactics he built his reputation on?”

One thing is clear: He has work to do. While Jordan won the GOP nomination for speaker yesterday, the vote was far from the display of unity that he and his allies had predicted. An eye-popping 81 Republicans rejected Jordan in favor of a low-key backbencher, Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), who decided to run just hours before the vote.

Then again, it may not matter whether Jordan comes off as nice guy or hard-ass because some members of the caucus are suggesting they may conveniently be in dispose when the balloting takes place.

Olivia Beavers of Politico posted this on Twitter:

“What happens when Jordan forces us to the floor to try to pressure us and all of a sudden we don’t show up and Hakeem Jeffries is speaker cause he wanted to be a bully ?” one upset House Republican just texted me.

It would only take five Republicans to be elsewhere when the vote is held for Jeffries to win. And there are likely more than that inside the GOP who despise Jordan enough that they’d be eager to see him humiliated.

Next week on Capitol Hill promises to be interesting.

 

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Congress GOP Kevin McCarthy Social Media Viral Video

Acting House Speaker Gets Ridiculed For His Angry Gavel Drop After McCarthy’s Ouster

If you were still watching yesterday when the House of Representatives took a vote that ousted Kevin McCarthy from his post as speaker, you probably saw a man wearing a bowtie presiding over the event.

That man is Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), who was serving as speaker pro tempore, and an action he took after the votes had been tallied and the speaker’s office formally declared as vacated has gone viral and resulted in McHenry getting heavily trolled on social media.

Here’s the video of McHenry’s “sulk slam” as HuffPost dubbed it, courtesy of Ron Filpkowski:

Damn! That is one angry and uptight little man.

Reaction on Twitter was absolutely hilarious.

 

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Congress GOP

House Republicans Are Actively Discussing Dumping Kevin McCarthy As Speaker 

The honeymoon is officially over with, and House Republicans are now actively considering kicking Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to the curb, according to a report from Axios.

On Thursday, The New York Times reported that McCarthy had sniped at members of his GOP leadership team.

According to The Times, McCarthy said behind closed doors that his top lieutenant, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is “ineffective, checked out and reluctant to take a position on anything.”

McCarthy also reportedly called Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Chairman of the House Budget Committee, “incompetent.”

Those remarks have led some powerful House Republicans to suggest McCarthy may need to be replaced, Axios reports.

Some angry GOP lawmakers warn that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s position could be on rocky ground after a report he blamed members of his leadership team for Republicans’ chaos over the budget.

[…]

What they’re saying: A GOP lawmaker accused McCarthy of using Scalise and Arrington as scapegoats before budget and debt ceiling negotiations have fully imploded.

  • “The members I’ve spoken with are just stunned by his rebuking of his budget chair, and certainly of our leadership,” another House Republican told Axios.
  • “I can’t imagine [he will last an entire term].”

Of course, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that’s been paying attention McCarthy is facing a sudden exit from the Speaker’s chair. After all, it took 15 ballots before he was able to obtain the votes needed for the post. Getting rid of him will be significantly easier, but it does raise the question of who might replace him.

The most frequently mentioned names to keep in mind if indeed McCarthy is ousted are Scalise, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Elise Stefanik (R-NY). But could any of them muster the votes necessary to replace McCarthy?

Right now, it appears the House GOP is right where many predicted they’d be: Running around like chickens with their heads cut off.