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In some ways, the GOP’s tactic is an escalation of how hard-line Tories have wielded power for years – making it more painful for those in the majority to operate, be it the Democrats or their own party in charge. But Democrats warn that this latest right-wing ploy could erode one of the last vestiges of two-party politics in the House, where relations have already deteriorated in the wake of the deadly January 6 riot.
Democrats say attempting to force votes in the House late at night for any purpose other than agitation could dramatically slow down the work of the chamber for years to come.
Majority House Leader Steny Hoyer and Minority House Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) Are in talks to find a way forward and spoke on Tuesday afternoon on the question. Hoyer also spoke with Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a curator who has become a master of procedural delays on the floor.
“He’s working on it,” Hoyer said of McCarthy, noting that they both want to make sure the House has a way to pass what are called suspension bills – popular measures. which can be sped up on the floor.
When asked if Democrats are considering changing chamber rules to avoid further disruption, the Maryland Democrat did not rule out the possibility if GOP leaders cannot come to an agreement with their members.
“Not yet. At some point, if this continues, we’ll have to deal with it,” Hoyer said.
While grassroots Republicans spearhead the latest effort to torpedo the theaters schedule – which has demanded some of the GOP’s own bills, including a move to award Congressional gold medal to police in the Capitol after the insurgency – even some GOP leaders say they sympathize with the global mission.
Leading Republicans are particularly angered that Democrats have changed the House’s “re-engagement motion,” one of the few procedural tools the House minority can use. The GOP has used this motion successfully on several occasions during the last Congress to force last minute changes to the legislation on House soil.
“I think this is a legitimate approach for members of the minority,” said GOP conference chairperson Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). “The majority must understand that we are not interested in a situation where they have taken away so many rights from the minority and they expect things to turn out well.”
“It shouldn’t surprise anyone that this is happening,” she added.
Yet some Republicans, while sharing the frustrations of their colleagues, hesitate to use bipartisan bills as leverage in a procedural confrontation. Hoyer said that “there is a lot of disagreement, anger and disappointment on both sides” with the GOP’s delay tactics. And House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) Made it clear on Tuesday that the plan to oppose routine votes did not come from the Republican leadership.
Roy was among Republicans who threatened to force recorded votes on 13 suspension bills Monday night, which would have taken all night given new House procedures in the era of the pandemic – which are they – same another source of frustration among the GOP. Hoyer was forced to remove bills from suspended consideration, a process that requires two-thirds support to pass by the House. The majority of these bills have not made it to committee either.
“Right now this place is completely dysfunctional,” Roy said. “Why are we pretending to grease the skates here to help anyone move these bills one day or another?” We need to have a serious conversation about the things that are fundamentally broken about the institution. “
Republicans are still debating whether to continue Monday night’s protest, forcing the chamber to convene for even the most mundane bills and potentially turning all ground proceedings into Senate-like slog. The ultra-Conservative House Freedom Caucus held a virtual meeting Monday night to discuss its strategy on this issue; Republicans also discussed it at a conference meeting Tuesday morning.
Later Tuesday, dozens of GOP lawmakers mounted another disruption by lining up in the House for unanimous consent on a bill requiring schools to have a plan to reopen if they receive federal aid in the event of pandemic. The move briefly delayed a procedural vote on the coronavirus relief package.
“There’s a lot of frustration in the conference to see the 45-minute votes turn into one-hour votes,” said Freedom Caucus member Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio). “We should be leading the way on how to get back to full functionality. Instead, they’re still hanging around. “
Democrats, meanwhile, say they hold the majority – albeit slim – and have every right to run the House as they see fit, especially amid the pandemic. The Conservatives’ complaints about the House’s lack of transparency or the open process predate House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s claim for the Speaker’s hammer in 2019.
Many Democrats also point out that the current coup follows their decision to strip controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) Of her committees for her record of inflammatory comments. His involvement in the GOP’s current maneuver on the ground seems little more than seeking attention for these lawmakers.
“She needs to find a hobby other than engaging in unproductive activities and reflecting in conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, to reporters, referring to Greene. Jeffries warned that the Republicans’ tactics would only delay the bipartisan bills they are supporting, “My grandmother used to tell me, be careful what you want, because you just might get it.”
With tensions still high on Capitol Hill, Republicans aren’t the only ones threatening to scrap the suspension bills.
One Democrat, Illinois Representative Sean Casten angered Democratic leaders late last month by forcing a recorded vote on an uncontroversial bill to rename a post office. Casten argued that its author, Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), Did not condemn the January 6 violence and therefore Democrats should oppose the measure. Democrats also threatened with blackball other Republicans who voted to challenge the certification of election results.
But Pelosi and his leadership team quickly put out the fire in their caucus, convincing the vast majority of members to support the Kelly-backed bill.
Despite Cheney’s empathy for objectors’ frustrations, the GOP leadership also did not approve of the anti-suspension strategy: “I don’t want to see any hostages,” Scalise said, but “I want to see an open process. . “
The problem is difficult to resolve, Democrats said, in part because Roy and Greene are deploying the procedural tactics for different reasons.
Roy called for “regular order” and more debate, which Democrats said they could support. But they see Greene as unmotivated by an urge to disrupt, leaving no obvious solutions on the table.
Even some Republicans have privately complained about Greene’s involvement in the current prosecution uprising after using motions to oppose bills such as an LGBTQ rights bill that three members of their party argued.
“The issue had lost steam until the MTG threat yesterday,” said a Democrat who worked behind the scenes to try and resolve the procedural issue, abbreviating the name Greene. “Now it’s in the foreground.”
Heather Caygle contributed to this report.
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