New Paltz, NY (L'Œil d'Assas) - After a few weeks of debates, plot twists, and many, many, many ballots, the Republicans finally choose their new Speaker. It will be Mike Johnson from Louisiana. Looking back on a troubled October for the U.S. institution.
The origins of the chaos: a historical procedure to oust former Speaker McCarthy
Since the establishment of the U.S. society, the role of the House of Representatives has been prominent in America’s politics. The institution is mainly charged with the passage of federal legislation. But it can also be a space of internal tensions between Republicans and Democrats and even within the Republican party, highlighting the numerous political shades existing in the right wing.
This is exactly what happened a few weeks ago. At the end of September, Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, in office since January, decided to work on the establishment of bills with some Democrats deputies. The goal was to pass a bipartisan continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown that could have occurred, freezing the federal institutions until the end of the year. Some Rep. representatives did not agree with this move and showed it strongly.
It’s the case of Matt Gaetz, a representative of Florida. He accused McCarthy of making « secret side deals » directly with Joe Biden to « fund more aid for Ukraine ». Gaetz then started a motion to vacate McCarthy and gathered votes from Republican allies, which provoked the start of a sort of 'Civil War' in the GOP.
The following days were tough for McCarthy, who had to undergo a process led by his fellow Rep. to oust him from his office. The Democrats did not help. As this political war between left and right does not stop in the U.S., it is a great occasion for the liberal side to have the opportunity to destabilize the order in the Republican party. Indeed, it is the only maneuver that they can try. The liberal side can't push one of them to the job of Speaker of the House since the institution has a Republican majority. (Rep: 221 vs Dem: 212).
'Betrayed' by both sides (that is how much the political game can be harsh sometimes), Kevin McCarthy was voted out on October 3rd. ”I fought for what I believe in”, he first said after his eviction from office. This ballot led to numerous days of leaps into the unknown, with the Republicans fighting to know who would be presenting himself as Speaker.
Uncertain and long path to determine the lucky one
The first person selected by the Republican party was Steve Scalise. This representative from Louisiana was considered as the leader of the majority in the House. But his bid to become Speaker quickly ended on October 12 after he failed to secure enough votes in his camp to have a majority. Knowing the different political nuances in the GOP, it is not surprising to see that the nomination of Scalise, a hard conservative, may have held back some Rep.
Try again. But with a new character. It is the time for the second choice of the Republicans. Jim Jordan (Ohio) takes the lead and goes to the first ballot with a supporter as powerful as it can be dangerous: Donald Trump. The former president of the United States endorsed him in a post on his social network 'Truth Social' with a short post: “Jordan will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!”. The two political figures already worked together and the Ohio representative can’t refuse such support. In the last poll for the Republican primary for the 2024 election published on Oct. 26 by ABC News, Trump stays at the top (57%), far ahead of other candidates like DeSantis (15%) or Haley (7%).
Defeat for Jordan on the first ballot. Then, on the second one. And on the third one. More persevering than Scalise, Jordan kept fighting even if he lost more and more votes on each following ballot. On October 20, the GOP decided to launch a secret vote that removed Jordan from the nominee position.
Focus on Mike Johnson, a strong conservative Republican
On this long road, a third character popped up. Mike Johnson, a congressman from Louisiana, will finally be the 'chosen one'. For better or for worse. For the GOP, the nomination of Johnson stops what looked like a never-ending hemorrhage. For the Democrats, they see a very conservative Rep. taking office. When looking at his career, a lot of questionable decisions can be highlighted.
For instance, Mike Johnson defended Louisiana’s same-sex marriage ban in 2004 and 2014. He authored many laws to restrict abortion access like the 'Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act' as is reminding the news political website Politico.
Johnson taking office marks the end of a month of chaos in the House. But this tremulous period allowed us to see even more the divisions among the Republicans and all around the political spectrum. The new speaker, a close ally of Donald Trump, can also pave the way for the 45th president of the U.S., who is maybe planning to run for office a third time.
Thomas Dagnas