McCarthy is Speaker under new rules

Early yesterday morning – literally after midnight – Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield, Calif.) finally became Speaker of the House of Representatives. The assembly of so many Representatives-elect took fifteen votes to make this happen, the longest Speaker contest since 1859-60. To make this happen, McCarthy agreed – in writing – to new House Rules. Now every conservative must ask himself: can these Rules changes suffice against having a different Speaker? And: will Speaker McCarthy honor these Rules changes – or revoke them at the earliest opportunity?

McCarthy wins – fifth longest contest on record

CNAV has, of course, detailed why an election contest for the office of Speaker of the House broke out. The office of Speaker has changed hands fifty-four times, in addition to the selection of the very first Speaker. Of those fifty-five, only fifteen have required more than one ballot to happen. The Historian of the House keeps the tally, and will shortly have to update to reflect McCarthy requiring fifteen ballots. The longest contest ever happened in 1855-56 and needed 133 ballots to settle. The most recent contest happened 100 years ago with nine ballots. Before then came a forty-four-ballot contest in 1859-60. Kevin McCarthy will go down in history as requiring the fifth longest contest on record.

Reportage on this vote came from We Love Trump, The Western Journal, Creative Destruction Media, Clash Daily, and Self-reliance Central. Additional reportage, including an altercation on the House floor (see below), comes from The Washington Examiner.

The House chamber nearly becomes a combat zone

The Clerk of the House, Cheryl Johnson, ran the voting session, as she had run every other voting session. Tempers flared after several of these votes. (Whether any Member will face sanctions as a result, is an open question. Technically the House of Representatives does not exist, and has no Rules, unless and until the House has a Speaker.) But after the fourteenth vote, a fistfight almost broke out. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) stopped voting for persons other than McCarthy and simply voted “Present,” the usual form of abstention. McCarthy, having failed again to secure a majority of Members present and voting, approached Gaetz. The two exchanged some heated words that, so far, no one has recorded. McCarthy then turned on his heel and walked away – but then Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) “lunged” at Gaetz. At once Rep. Rich Hudson (R-N.C.) stepped forward and held Rogers back from behind.

With the restoration of order, the fifteenth vote took place. The results: Kevin McCarthy had 216 votes, Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) 212, with six voting “Present.” They were: Any Biggs (Ariz.), Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Eli Crane (Ariz.), Matt Gaetz, Matt Rosendale (Mont.), and Bob Good (Va.).

Gaetz had threatened to resign if McCarthy went to Democrats to secure votes for his Speakership. This did not happen; not one Democrat, in all fifteen ballots, voted for anyone other than Jeffries. Thus this contest happened entirely among Republicans.

What did the holdouts gain?

Hakeem Jeffries, without meaning to, gave everyone a taste of what Midterms 2022 had prevented. He made a rambling speech, perhaps trying to pretend he was the outgoing Speaker he wasn’t. Then, at last, he handed the gavel to McCarthy.

That aside, Jenna Ellis offered this congratulation for the most significant concession McCarthy offered:

This twelve-page Analysis of the Resolution Adopting Rules for the 118^th Congress gives the details.

It means Kevin McCarthy had to promise – in writing – to change the Rules of the House. These mostly revert the Rules to where they stood before Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), his predecessor, last changed them. Significantly, these changes require most Committees to adopt an “authorization and oversight plan.” Under it, each Committee must review every federal agency within its purview that:

• Has no authorization, or:
• Has received no review in the last three terms of Congress.

Tax rate increases will also require a three-fifth supermajority in the House to pass.

Probably the most important change concerns Motions to Vacate the Chair. From now on, any one Member may offer a privileged resolution vacating the Office of Speaker. This subjects the Speaker to an up-or-down vote of confidence. If he loses, the House must then choose another Speaker.

In addition, the new Speaker agreed to place “non-establishment” Republicans on key committees, some of which will conduct investigations of the Biden administration. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), the chief negotiator, wrung this particular concession.

Will McCarthy keep his word?

Establishment organs like National Review suspect McCarthy has committed himself and must keep his word. That applies especially to the Rules package that includes an enhanced Motion to Vacate the Chair power. This prompted Philip Klein to lament that McCarthy became “Speaker in name only.”

Not everyone is so sanguine. George Behizy (?) told his followers to watch McCarthy for two weeks, to see whether he will renege on his promises.

At the same time he listed two things the new Speaker can do to gain his confidence:

Laura Loomer flat-out accused McCarthy and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) of having an affair. This, she said, was “the REAL reason she voted for him for Speaker of the House.”

She also objected to the new Speaker having a case of champagne literally rolled into his new office in celebration.

Representative Good left this thread on Twitter at about a quarter of seven Friday evening:

Still, he voted Present, and in so doing lowered the threshold for McCarthy – just enough.

Congress will likely have its first full session at noon Tuesday. The various committees will start work the day before. Beyond that, how this “deal” will work out, remains for people to see.