Dear House Republicans: Don’t forget how many times the Democrats have shot themselves in the foot because they changed the rules.
Rule changing might do that to the Republicans in the future if the House Republicans change how they elect a House speaker.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan are running for the position.
The winner needs 98% of the Republicans to vote for him.
Neither man has the 217 votes needed to succeed. The number is 217 because of two vacant House seats.
Some members want former Speaker Kevin McCarthy back with the gavel, which will complicate matters.
Need a bigger headache? The House Republicans started fighting over rule changes.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) wants an amendment to temporarily raise the threshold to a 217 House majority, not just within the GOP.
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) said no way:
Rep. Tom McClintock, R-CA, sent a letter to colleagues on Tuesday evening calling that proposal “an absurdity on its face.”He pointed out in a letter to colleagues that the existing rules on removing a speaker — a process which can be triggered by just one member — still means that Republicans’ “choice may be removed by any five of them with a grievance, and every member must accept their decision.””This is childish despotism and utter nonsense. Why are we still entertaining it?” he said.
But McClintock offered an “amendment to House GOP rules that would expel a member from the conference if they cast a House floor vote that goes against the conference position on procedural issues like the speaker vote, rules changes and other measures.”
One House Republican lamented, “It’s strangely a worse circumstance than we have now even though it’s well intentioned.”
Scalise and Jordan made their last pitches to the House Republicans on Tuesday night.
The internal election should happen on Wednesday.
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