So here we go again…
Please direct all comments and links regarding the actual VOTING to this thread.
Edit Confirmed, Mike Johnson is the next speaker after running the table of all present and voting Republicans, 220 to Hakeem Jeffries 209.
If you’d like to know more about Mike Johnson, here’s a good link:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/25/who-is-mike-johnson-republican-2020-election
I’ll leave this pinned for 24 hours so everyone can catch up, then take it down.
1st vote count is in:
Hakeem Jeffries - 212 (217 needed to win)
Jim Jordan - 200
Steve Scalise - 7
Kevin McCarthy - 6
“Others” - 7
Jordan could have only lost 4 votes, he lost 20.
2nd vote:
Jeffries - 212
Jordan - 199
Scalise - 7
McCarthy - 5
Zeldin - 3
“Others” - 7 (one each)
Edit 3rd vote is in, House in recess.
Jeffries - 210
Jordan - 194
Scalise - 8
McHenry - 6
Zeldin - 4
Donalds - 2
McCarthy - 2
“Others” - 3 (1 each)
Matt Gaetz has vowed to oppose expanding the powers for McHenry:
That will never happen. It’s much more likely IMHO for Democrats to throw some votes at a moderate Republican to get them over the line. Not Kevin, probably not Steve Scalise.
Becoming Speaker is only part of the story, though. The Speaker sets the agenda (meaning the day’s schedule) but that agenda is subject to a vote and needs a majority every single time. So any Democrats who support a Republican (or vice versa) would have to be relied on to vote in favor of that speaker’s scheduling, otherwise nothing can be scheduled.
Very unlikely to happen
Yes, it is very unlikely to happen, but still more likely than any Republicans voting for Democrats.
The only way one side is voting for the other’s nominee is if they get a deal with some real concessions. I don’t see it happening.
Meanwhile in Canada we just got free (covered) dental care for youth, and will be getting a pharmacare plan because 1 party needed the others support to govern and gave concession.
Imagine what they could actually do in the US if they actually worked together out of this madness.
Edit: There’s gotta be hundreds of things moderates in both parties could agree to as concessions for joint support.