118th House Opening Sessions Thread- McCarthy elected Spkr. 216-212, 6 Present; Rules Passed 220-213

[Ogre Mage]

I had a bad day at work and was feeling bad until I thought at least I'm not Kevin McCarthy.

[Pres Mike]

Congress should just adjourn until Monday. They already have a handful of representatives who won’t be in attendance tomorrow for various reasons (funeral, surgery)

If McCarthy had a deal with the Taliban, it would have reflected on the 11th ballot. It did not. There is no evidence that another ballot at noon tomorrow will be different.

The weekend would also give Democrats a chance to meet with moderate republicans to elect Fred Upton.

Nah, that would just reward the disfunction.

The dysfunction has gone on for long enough. Now it's time to end it, securing Democrats more power during the 118th Congress, and allowing them to take credit for ending it in 2024.

Why must Democrats always clean up the messes Republicans make? Shouldn't, you know, Republicans take some responsibility here?

The "party of personal responsibility" doesn't take responsibility ever.

Democrats can, and they can take credit for it.

The American electorate has the memory of a goldfish. This will not be news next week, let alone next year.

There is a tactical advantage towards Upton as a speaker.

Exactly. He's already promised a lot. So even forgetting about the electoral aspect of it, Democrats would be INSANE not to make Upton speaker while they still can.

Keep in mind that Democrats can't unilaterally make Upton speaker; they still need a chunk of Republicans to join them.  While I suspect some Rs would eventually be willing to do so, it's probably a last resort for them, and we're not at the point of last resort (from their viewpoint) yet.

Democrats only need 6 republicans. 212+6=218

Although, I suspect they’ll need more. I can see the squad not voting for Upton  

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/bresreports/status/1611163127772504064

[Schiff for Senate]

Congress should just adjourn until Monday. They already have a handful of representatives who won’t be in attendance tomorrow for various reasons (funeral, surgery)

If McCarthy had a deal with the Taliban, it would have reflected on the 11th ballot. It did not. There is no evidence that another ballot at noon tomorrow will be different.

The weekend would also give Democrats a chance to meet with moderate republicans to elect Fred Upton.

Nah, that would just reward the disfunction.

The dysfunction has gone on for long enough. Now it's time to end it, securing Democrats more power during the 118th Congress, and allowing them to take credit for ending it in 2024.

Why must Democrats always clean up the messes Republicans make? Shouldn't, you know, Republicans take some responsibility here?

The "party of personal responsibility" doesn't take responsibility ever.

Democrats can, and they can take credit for it.

The American electorate has the memory of a goldfish. This will not be news next week, let alone next year.

There is a tactical advantage towards Upton as a speaker.

Exactly. He's already promised a lot. So even forgetting about the electoral aspect of it, Democrats would be INSANE not to make Upton speaker while they still can.

Keep in mind that Democrats can't unilaterally make Upton speaker; they still need a chunk of Republicans to join them.  While I suspect some Rs would eventually be willing to do so, it's probably a last resort for them, and we're not at the point of last resort (from their viewpoint) yet.

Assuming all Democrats can get on board (which I understand is a big ask in and of itself), only 5 Republicans are needed. But you're right, the challenge is getting the likes of Tlaib, Omar, AOC, to vote for Fred Upton (in fairness to them, they'd be justified in having reluctance, given the ocean of difference in their politics and Upton's - but they need to be shown that this is the best-case realistic scenario for all Democrats, progressive or Blue Dog).

[Alben Barkley]

I honestly don't even understand why the Freedom Caucus hates McCarthy so much besides contrarianism.

After all, McCarthy has proven himself to be a perfect toadie kissing Trump's ass after January 6th and all, a solid right-wing nut, and a traitor to freedom and democracy and human rights by suggesting withholding aid to Ukraine.

What more could they ask for?!

[OSR stands with Israel]

I honestly don't even understand why the Freedom Caucus hates McCarthy so much besides contrarianism.

After all, McCarthy has proven himself to be a perfect toadie kissing Trump's ass after January 6th and all, a solid right-wing nut, and a traitor to freedom and democracy and human rights by suggesting withholding aid to Ukraine.

What more could they ask for?!

The freedom caucus wants him to block any raises in the debt ceiling from here and out

[Alben Barkley]

I honestly don't even understand why the Freedom Caucus hates McCarthy so much besides contrarianism.

After all, McCarthy has proven himself to be a perfect toadie kissing Trump's ass after January 6th and all, a solid right-wing nut, and a traitor to freedom and democracy and human rights by suggesting withholding aid to Ukraine.

What more could they ask for?!

The freedom caucus wants him to block any raises in the debt ceiling from here and out

The debt ceiling? LOL, that is SO 2011.

[OSR stands with Israel]

I honestly don't even understand why the Freedom Caucus hates McCarthy so much besides contrarianism.

After all, McCarthy has proven himself to be a perfect toadie kissing Trump's ass after January 6th and all, a solid right-wing nut, and a traitor to freedom and democracy and human rights by suggesting withholding aid to Ukraine.

What more could they ask for?!

The freedom caucus wants him to block any raises in the debt ceiling from here and out

The debt ceiling? LOL, that is SO 2011.

Their other demand was replacing the income tax with a national sales tax . The tea party is still stuck in the Obama years basically and haven't ever moved on .

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

I honestly don't even understand why the Freedom Caucus hates McCarthy so much besides contrarianism.

After all, McCarthy has proven himself to be a perfect toadie kissing Trump's ass after January 6th and all, a solid right-wing nut, and a traitor to freedom and democracy and human rights by suggesting withholding aid to Ukraine.

What more could they ask for?!

The freedom caucus wants him to block any raises in the debt ceiling from here and out

Yes, because they are nihilistic wreckers, the only reason one would actually want the US to default on its debt. It wouldn't even succeed at forcing spending cuts except in the sense that there's generally less to spend during a severe depression.

[Ferguson97]

Their other demand was replacing the income tax with a national sales tax . The tea party is still stuck in the Obama years basically and haven't ever moved on .

LOL if these are really their demands, we're going to be at this for a while.

[Alben Barkley]

I honestly don't even understand why the Freedom Caucus hates McCarthy so much besides contrarianism.

After all, McCarthy has proven himself to be a perfect toadie kissing Trump's ass after January 6th and all, a solid right-wing nut, and a traitor to freedom and democracy and human rights by suggesting withholding aid to Ukraine.

What more could they ask for?!

The freedom caucus wants him to block any raises in the debt ceiling from here and out

The debt ceiling? LOL, that is SO 2011.

Their other demand was replacing the income tax with a national sales tax . The tea party is still stuck in the Obama years basically and haven't ever moved on .

LOL. LMAO, even.

If the GOP was smart, they would have completely abandoned all this "fiscal conservatism" wackiness in favor of the culture war stuff which is what really hits the spot with their base who are indifferent at best towards economic policy but are very passionate about social policy. Joe Six Pack is clueless about whether a national sales tax or income tax (which he probably pays very little of) is better for the economy, but he does know how uncomfortable them foreigners and queers make him. And he is the one voting for the GOP in the current day and age, not upper class suburbanites who could tolerate a side of crazy with their tax breaks like back in the Reagan era. I know you love Ronnie, but his coalition of the Christian Right nutjobs with those types was bound to fall apart eventually just like the New Deal Coalition of racist Southerners and blacks did.

[HillGoose]

do u think they r smoking crack up there on the hill these days

[Schiff for Senate]

Congress should just adjourn until Monday. They already have a handful of representatives who won’t be in attendance tomorrow for various reasons (funeral, surgery)

If McCarthy had a deal with the Taliban, it would have reflected on the 11th ballot. It did not. There is no evidence that another ballot at noon tomorrow will be different.

The weekend would also give Democrats a chance to meet with moderate republicans to elect Fred Upton.

Nah, that would just reward the disfunction.

The dysfunction has gone on for long enough. Now it's time to end it, securing Democrats more power during the 118th Congress, and allowing them to take credit for ending it in 2024.

Why must Democrats always clean up the messes Republicans make? Shouldn't, you know, Republicans take some responsibility here?

The "party of personal responsibility" doesn't take responsibility ever.

Democrats can, and they can take credit for it.

The American electorate has the memory of a goldfish. This will not be news next week, let alone next year.

There is a tactical advantage towards Upton as a speaker.

Exactly. He's already promised a lot. So even forgetting about the electoral aspect of it, Democrats would be INSANE not to make Upton speaker while they still can.

Keep in mind that Democrats can't unilaterally make Upton speaker; they still need a chunk of Republicans to join them.  While I suspect some Rs would eventually be willing to do so, it's probably a last resort for them, and we're not at the point of last resort (from their viewpoint) yet.

Democrats only need 6 republicans. 212+6=218

Although, I suspect they’ll need more. I can see the squad not voting for Upton  

Just five. Threshold is 217 now, because of Spartz always voting present and Buck being back in CO for some medical procedure.

[The Dowager Mod]

https://twitter.com/jamie_raskin/status/1611163233066287105

[Schiff for Senate]

do u think they r smoking crack up there on the hill these days

Given their nominating speeches, we have good reason to think Gaetz and Good, at least, might be.

[Oryxslayer]

Their other demand was replacing the income tax with a national sales tax . The tea party is still stuck in the Obama years basically and haven't ever moved on .

LOL if these are really their demands, we're going to be at this for a while.

See, those are the demands of the ones who actually have demands,  cause they were around during the Obama years. They young ones,  care less about the policy and more about the appearances, positioning,  and media. Or they are the ones who are even further gone and care solely about sticking it to the leadership,  cause all formal authority is bad in the post-Trump era. The latter two are the McCarthys real problem.

[Schiff for Senate]

Seriously though, it just struck me that on the 10th ballot, three of the four nominating speeches were delivered by Mexican-Americans (Aguilar, Luna, and Ciscomani are all Mexican-American - only Boebart isn't). Similarly, though not as significantly, three of the four were given by representatives from the southwest (exception being Luna this time), and all four by representatives of the Sun Belt (FL, CO, AZ and SoCal are all part of the Sun Belt).

[ProgressiveModerate]

If Ds were to try a nominate a moderate speaker, who would actually be the 5+ Rs who’d join them?

Fritzpatrick, except he tends to stay pretty low profile and only votes against the gop when it doesn’t rlly matter.

Bacon? Again seems pretty loyal but has broken from party before and is in a left shifting Biden seat.

Valadao perhaps? Voted to impeach Trump and a Biden + 13 district with very specific needs.

Newhouse? Another impeachment R but he’s in a deep Trump district.

Rs who won in 2022 who are in pretty blue districts like D’Esposito, Lawler, or DeRemer. Tbh we don’t rlly know much about them yet, though they all seem like decently loyal Rs.

Maybe somehow the Cuban Reps, specifically Giminez and Salazar who both voted for Clinton in 2016 and who’s politics are slightly off from the rest of Rs because of the very unique community they represent.

5 doesn’t sound like much at face value, but the House tends to be far more partisan than the Senate and I struggle to see who these votes would come from.

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

First person to storm the Capitol tomorrow gets to be Speaker of the House!!!

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

First person to storm the Capitol tomorrow gets to be Speaker of the House!!!

Madam Clerk, I rise today to nominate the pizza I am eating for Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Pizza is, as every American knows, an American staple, and a symbol of the American dream. My ancestors came from Southern Italy, on a boat, all the way to Ellis Island, and the first thing they did was create a pizzaria, out of money they had left over. They proceeded to make tens of thousands of dollars and lift themselves out of poverty.

The pizza they made understood what the American Dream as about. It understood, in its dough, the labor and hard work and toil of hours of a patriotic American's time and energy. Pizza is a symbol of American unity and I have never heard of an American who hates the very idea of pizza. Pizza unifies America. Pizza is part of America's image of hope to the world and I think all my colleagues can relate to the good taste of a good spaghetti on cooked dough and cheese. I'm sure my good friend from the state of New York knows a thing or two about pizza; his family owned a pizzeria too. Pizza has empowered generations of hardworking Americans to support themselves and their families.

I think that the time has come for us to acknowledge this. I think the time has come for us to vote to install this pizza I am eating for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. The red spaghetti sauce, the blue cheese, the green toppings...it reflects America, and Democrats and Republicans alike can relate to the good taste of a good pizza.

I call upon all my colleagues to join me in acknowledging the greatness of pizza and the proud place it has in our great nation's history, and its fine addition to the happiness of tens if not hundreds of millions of Americans. I urge them to vote for the pizza I am currently eating, for this venerable and honorable position of Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and I yield back.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

This is gonna end in Speakership McCarthy but he has no negotiable leverage over Gaetz and Boebert freedom Caucus, we may see us go to the brink on Debt Ceiling there won't be a shutdown because all McCarthy needs is about 10/20 D's to sign off on Debt Ceiling

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

I say that the fourth that were nominated on the last ballot have to have a fist fight in the well of the house live on cspan

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

This is so unintentionally hilarious

[emailking]

Jeffries has gotten 2332 votes for Speaker.

[Arizona Iced Tea]

I just don't know what the math for McCarthy is.

Assuming Ken Buck comes back and Spartz keeps voting present, he needs 217 to win. He starts off with 201 (Assuming Buck votes for him). This means he needs 16/19 holdouts that are voting someone else. I don't see how at least 2 of Biggs, Boebert, Gaetz, Good, and Gosar vote for him. I think if he keeps giving out concessions its possible for him to get 213 maybe even 215, but 217 seems very tricky to do. It's very likely he keeps grinding it out, but when you get to the 20th ballot and possibly 30th ballot there is going to be more and more pressure to step back. What's his plan if its somehow February and there is no speaker settled?