House Speaker

[barnhart]

If true, that Jordan is no longer in consideration, I am impressed the old school right has held on.

[Jazman]

It isn't about legislation. No one really expects any major new legislation out of a gridlocked congress.

It is about doing their constitutional duty to pass a budget and fund the government. It is right there in Article 1 of the Constitution.

I agree...I know that conservative ideology sometimes says "less governing is better governing," and gridlock seems to serve this purpose. But I believe institutional dysfunction will ultimately harm or cripple societal advancement. Conservatives would do well to do their duty and pass (or limit) laws in harmony with their convictions (and within the tolerances of the electorate) rather than to use dysfunction as a governing tactic.

Congress also has oversight duties over all the agencies, legislation, and budgets within its jurisdiction. So a VERY BIG part of their job and the job of all the various committees within the house is:

1. Holding oversight hearings on how EXISTING laws are working or not working so they can repeal, amend, or reauthorize existing legislation

2. Hold hearings and conduct oversight over the OPERATIONS of various agencies from immigration to the environment to defense. Are the various federal agencies doing a good job or not? If not, what needs to be fixed?

2. Review and pass federal budgets for each agency of the government. And conduct oversight over how federal tax dollars are being used or misused.

None of that important work is getting down while the House is not functioning because they cannot manage to select a Speaker.

All things that 'real' conservatives (or claiming 'conscience' of the nation types) would consider a worthy vocation... This kind of work btw involves persuasion, wheeling/dealing give-take, procedure, listening to understand and yes, compromise. It's how good households / orgs /businesses are run. When a business's board or leadership can't do those things, it's probably going to fail. And this is why good businesses/organizations don't let zealots, rabble-rousers, anti-social types , 'hostage'-takers, rule/norm-breakers, etc into the decision making rooms... But the GOP and its primary voters have chosen many (not all) of those kinds of people to send to Congress. Now it's a cafeteria fight...
From Politico...

"When Matt Gaetz stepped to the microphones during Thursday’s three-hour private House GOP meeting on the speakership, the speaker he ousted promptly yelled at him to “sit down.”

Kevin McCarthy was not the only Republican to vent fury with Gaetz, the Florida conservative who successfully ousted the House’s leader. The room met Gaetz with booing, profanities and calls to back off, according to multiple lawmakers in the room. When Gaetz refused, Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) stood up and hollered a command at him that one Republican recalled as: “If you don’t sit down, I’ll put you down.” - OLIVIA BEAVERS, JORDAIN CARNEY and SARAH FERRIS

Also, same source: "

Further fueling the raw feelings are personal threats lawmakers and their families are now facing over the speaker vote. Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) disclosed to his colleagues on Thursday that he had placed a sheriff at his daughter’s school, adding in a statement that Republicans do “not need a bully as the speaker.”

Why, oh 'christian' Republicans, do you do this to each other? Will this look attractive to anyone else outside the partisan bubble?

So that's my take on the Why this is happening: I'm wondering what others think, especially those of you who lean GOP or think they represent your 'side' in whole or part. Any answer is probably a good one (Except blaming the Dems for this... please refrain from that pretty lame excuse at this point)

[Ken]

If true, that Jordan is no longer in consideration, I am impressed the old school right has held on.

This morning after he lost for the 3rd time and was bleeding more votes, they went back into a private GOP caucus to hold a secret vote to see if they should continue and a solid majority of the GOP contingent voted no, they didn't want him after all. Here is a congressional reporter reporting on the vote totals. He lost that vote 112 to 86. So is no longer the speaker designee and they are back to square one.

[Ken]

I agree...I know that conservative ideology sometimes says "less governing is better governing," and gridlock seems to serve this purpose. But I believe institutional dysfunction will ultimately harm or cripple societal advancement. Conservatives would do well to do their duty and pass (or limit) laws in harmony with their convictions (and within the tolerances of the electorate) rather than to use dysfunction as a governing tactic.

Congress also has oversight duties over all the agencies, legislation, and budgets within its jurisdiction. So a VERY BIG part of their job and the job of all the various committees within the house is:

1. Holding oversight hearings on how EXISTING laws are working or not working so they can repeal, amend, or reauthorize existing legislation

2. Hold hearings and conduct oversight over the OPERATIONS of various agencies from immigration to the environment to defense. Are the various federal agencies doing a good job or not? If not, what needs to be fixed?

2. Review and pass federal budgets for each agency of the government. And conduct oversight over how federal tax dollars are being used or misused.

None of that important work is getting down while the House is not functioning because they cannot manage to select a Speaker.

All things that 'real' conservatives (or claiming 'conscience' of the nation types) would consider a worthy vocation... This kind of work btw involves persuasion, wheeling/dealing give-take, procedure, listening to understand and yes, compromise. It's how good households / orgs /businesses are run. When a business's board or leadership can't do those things, it's probably going to fail. And this is why good businesses/organizations don't let zealots, rabble-rousers, anti-social types , 'hostage'-takers, rule/norm-breakers, etc into the decision making rooms... But the GOP and its primary voters have chosen many (not all) of those kinds of people to send to Congress. Now it's a cafeteria fight...
From Politico...

"When Matt Gaetz stepped to the microphones during Thursday’s three-hour private House GOP meeting on the speakership, the speaker he ousted promptly yelled at him to “sit down.”

Kevin McCarthy was not the only Republican to vent fury with Gaetz, the Florida conservative who successfully ousted the House’s leader. The room met Gaetz with booing, profanities and calls to back off, according to multiple lawmakers in the room. When Gaetz refused, Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) stood up and hollered a command at him that one Republican recalled as: “If you don’t sit down, I’ll put you down.” - OLIVIA BEAVERS, JORDAIN CARNEY and SARAH FERRIS

Also, same source: "

Further fueling the raw feelings are personal threats lawmakers and their families are now facing over the speaker vote. Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) disclosed to his colleagues on Thursday that he had placed a sheriff at his daughter’s school, adding in a statement that Republicans do “not need a bully as the speaker.”

Why, oh 'christian' Republicans, do you do this to each other? Will this look attractive to anyone else outside the partisan bubble?

So that's my take on the Why this is happening: I'm wondering what others think, especially those of you who lean GOP or think they represent your 'side' in whole or part. Any answer is probably a good one (Except blaming the Dems for this... please refrain from that pretty lame excuse at this point)

The question I would ask is: If Republicans won't vote for other Republicans, why should any of the rest of us do so?

And no, this has nothing at all to do with Democrats. The minority party ALWAYS votes for their own candidate. That is the normal protocol that has been in place since the beginning of the Republic. It is up to the majority to choose their own leader. Otherwise you have things like minority parties meddling in the elections of the majority and picking the least popular candidate.

Can you imagine Republicans stepping up to save Speaker Nancy Pelosi's speakership if it was threatened by renegade Democrats? The very notion that they would have done so is absurd.

[Josh]

The question I would ask is: If Republicans won't vote for other Republicans, why should any of the rest of us do so?

There are a lot of voters who don’t want to vote for a platform of more abortion, celebrating and promoting transsexualism, promoting homosexuality, drag queen performances for toddlers, and raising taxes.

Personally I think we’d be better off with an extended federal shutdown. (And a pause on federal taxes too.) I think the government provided by my state and local government is just fine.

[temporal1]

Oh, the Democrats do that too.

I personally think Jim Jordan would be a good speaker. I have listened to several committees he was on and I liked his presentation.

Don't get caught up on how the media paints him.

My representative has ben one of the hold out votes. I actually sent him a message on X and said I would not vote for him if he does not vote to instate Jordan as speaker.

In my view, UNorganized conservatives offer the best hope.
UNorganized means room for improvement, discussion, debate, disagreement, all manner messy times, that leaves room for HOPE.

ORGANIZED politics can’t be differentiated from organized crime, cabals, mobs, gangsters. Anyone recall Bernie Sanders?
i’m not a fan, but .. .. his party didn’t like him.

i can be patient. Let the process take the time needed and allowed. Certainly, opportunists will exploit every situation, every word, to leverage for themselves. They do not rest. “Don’t get caught up in it.”

In the meanwhile, today i read BYRON DONALDS is running for Speaker. i’m interested.

https://twitter.com/RepDonaldsPress

[Ken]

The question I would ask is: If Republicans won't vote for other Republicans, why should any of the rest of us do so?

There are a lot of voters who don’t want to vote for a platform of more abortion, celebrating and promoting transsexualism, promoting homosexuality, drag queen performances for toddlers, and raising taxes.

Personally I think we’d be better off with an extended federal shutdown. (And a pause on federal taxes too.) I think the government provided by my state and local government is just fine.

So no more air travel in Ohio? No more social security? No more Medicare or Medicaid? (which would mean no more hospitals in rural Ohio) No more student loans to attend college? No more Federal reserve managing the money supply? No FDIC to ensure your bank deposits?

[temporal1]

Federal shutdowns don’t shut down “everything.”

WHAT A 2023 GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN MEANS FOR YOU
http://dankildee.house.gov/governmentshutdown

[ohio jones]

In the meanwhile, today i read BYRON DONALDS is running for Speaker. i’m interested.

"My sole focus will be" ... four things. Alrighty then.

[Josh]

So no more air travel in Ohio?

Air travel is possible without the federal government. There are airports, control towers, and even airlines that are headquartered here.

No more social security?

Currently, the federal government confiscates 15% of everyone's paychecks for Social Security/Medicare. The state of Ohio could just collect that money instead and then distribute it to beneficiaries. (Of course, Medicare might be insolvent, as many federal programs are, but there's no reason the states couldn't just start printing money exactly like the federal government does.)

No more Medicare or Medicaid? (which would mean no more hospitals in rural Ohio)

Hospitals in rural Ohio existed before Medicare and Medicaid did and could continue to exist today.

No more student loans to attend college?

Sounds good to me. Student loans are a boondoggle that leaves students deeply in debt and in need of bailouts.

No more Federal reserve managing the money supply?

Sounds good to me.

No FDIC to ensure your bank deposits?

Banks pay the FDIC to insure deposits. There is no reason a state agency could not be set up the same way.