US Politics
So something we just realized here that we don't understand: why do the GOP keep holding all these Speaker votes? Surely they KNOW they're going to lose every one?
It's the same people voting against whatsisname every time. Are they being like "Oh, yeah, we'll vote for him this time if you hold another vote" and then "haha syke!"? But he wouldn't have fallen for that more than two or three times.
Is there some requirement that they hold a vote every 4 hours or something? #GOP #baffling
US Politics
@nesmb
Is there some time limit, though? What stops them from doing it, like, no more than once a day if they know there isn't going to be a winner? The Constitution doesn't seem to be that specific, so what's the authority?
US Politics
@ceoln That’s a good question, I didn’t find it in here:
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPREC-PRECEDENTS-V1/pdf/GPO-HPREC-PRECEDENTS-V1.pdf
US Politics
@ceoln Here you go: there isn’t a mechanism to delay the roll call. Since this hasn’t happened for a century there hasn’t been much exercise of this rule.
“If no candidate receives the requisite majority, the roll call is repeated until a Speaker is elected”
US Politics
@nesmb
I love the fact that, since there aren't any rules in place at this point, "the election process is defined by precedent and practice rather than by any formal
rule."
How about the Democrats just say "look, we're tired of this, our guy has gotten the most votes every time, so he's Speaker now, and will start swearing in Members after lunch"? That would rock. :)
US Politics
I believe this is because they have to have a vote to adjourn and they haven't always had enough votes(simple majority) for that. So, at the beginning of the day the clerk presides as Speaker and calls a vote as long as there's a quorum present.
If after a vote in which they fail to elect a Speaker they don't adjourn, and people leave anyway, then they could conceivably hold a vote in which now the number to win is lower because the people who aren't there are non-voters. Depending on who left that could give the Speaker job to Jeffries. Obviously the Republicans won't leave and risk that, and Democrats will keep voting hoping that Republicans tire of it and leave.
So, anyway, they continue to vote until there's a majority who agree to adjourn until the next day, then the clerk starts the whole process over. It's essentially stuck in a loop until a Speaker is elected who can make the next procedural moves about how this Congressional session will function.
US Politics
Ah, interesting, thanks! So the clerk could (perhaps?) potentially just sit there with feet on desk, saying oh yeah we'll get around to voting again soon, until told that it was worth taking another vote, but that would probably violate some procedural rule about delay (and/or they're doing malicious compliance heh heh).
Violating procedure like that would be embarrassing and chaotic, but they're already that for sure...
US Politics
To me the most interesting one will be today. If they don't elect McCarthy straight off in the first vote we'll see if anyone wants to push it through the weekend or if they're all so eager to get on their flights home that they'll get along for one vote and willingly adjourn for the weekend.
US Politics
@ceoln the house is required to take another vote each time it fails to elect a speaker, until someone is elected.