By Ruth A. Sheets
Happy New Year! It appears this year is going to be as
“exciting” as last year, so get ready!
On January 3, 2023, it began. The Senate and House of Representatives were set to open the 118th Congress, usually a ceremonial event. The Speaker of the House, who has already been chosen by the majority party is elected by the full House and the other party leaders are voted in as the Senate gets set up. The members are sworn in, then business can begin. That’s the way it’s been done for the past century, but not what happened on January 3rd. The Senate proceeded as usual, but the House, well, the House is a different story.
Kevin McCarthy the current minority leader in the House had decided he was going to be Speaker no matter what. The American people were informed on numerous occasions that McCarthy has wanted this post for years and would get it even if it took months. McCarthy set up his circus tent and the show began. Call the first vote! Nominations for Speaker were placed. After 434 names were called, McCarthy didn’t win the vote. He didn’t win on the second or third votes either. The House adjourned.
The House members returned for Day 2. After 3 more votes, McCarthy didn’t win and we learned that the ultra-right-wingers who voted against him wanted significant concessions from him for their votes. Of course, they didn’t care if the concessions would be good for the House of Representatives or for the American people, they just wanted them. McCarthy didn’t make enough of those concessions to win any of the 5 votes on the third day either.
The fourth day didn’t begin as usual because two elected members had gone home for personal business, so the House waited for their return. At 10:00 p.m., the House convened and three votes more were taken and again McCarthy didn’t win, although he got closer. One surmises he was getting nearer and nearer to selling his soul for the job and gave in to more concessions to the ult-right crew. By the way, that crew was made up of mostly insurrectionists who either helped plan the January 6th insurrection, spoke at the Trump January 6th rally in favor of Trump’s lie that he had won the election, or refused to accept the count of the electors after the insurrection had been halted, a “patriotic” clown car.
The 15th round of voting was called and this time, McCarthy squeaked through because several of the insurrectionists and their supporters declared themselves present rather than vote for him. They knew their “present” would mean McCarthy’s victory. Hey Clowns! You actually did vote for him.
There was a near altercation between two members and some other rude behavior, but for the most part the Republican circus was managed incredibly well by Clerk of the House, Cheryl Johnson. She kept things moving and used the gavel judiciously. Maybe she should have been elected Speaker. (I digress.)
Democrats had excellent seats for the show. They voted every round their 212 votes for Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries. Those who nominated him each time gave good speeches about who he is and the issues he sees as important to the American people. They also pointed out Republican limited support for those issues.
The McCarthy nominators had a difficult time trying to find qualities to extol. McCarthy has not shown himself much of a leader over the years, but the nominators attributed extraordinary talents in leadership to him. They rattled on about him being some kind of check on the Democrats (or something), and kept repeating insincerities about his leadership skills, abilities, and talents.
The difference in quality between Jeffries and McCarthy was clear when they gave their opening speeches. Jeffries talked about what Congress had done and could do for the American people including the accomplishments of the past two years. He said there were things Democrats would always stand for and against. He had an alphabetical list of the positive over the negative: Freedom over Fascism, quality of life issues over Q-anon, Yes we can over you can’t do it, all 26 letters. He listed the many people who make up this nation and that we are all Americans and that there should be no tolerance for the hatred of some for the others. Diversity is strength. His speech was 15 minutes long and was uplifting all the way. He said he hoped to work with Republicans, but the doubt was in his voice.
On the other hand, Kevin McCarthy’s presentation sounded like a mediocre high school graduation speech with some references to the House thrown in. He just played back all the Republican buzzwords: stop crime, make sure all criminals are prosecuted, and reiterated the line about being a check on Democrats. He claimed he will cut energy costs and make good jobs for workers with no plan, no ideas. He got Republican cheers when he said the first bill would be cutting funding for the IRS. That, of course would free his donors, his members, and their families to continue to avoid paying taxes. Not surprising this is his first bill proposal.
McCarthy said he was concerned about China’s Communist Party. He wants to get a committee to see how to bring back jobs from China. Democrats already started the process with the “Chips Act.” Then, McCarthy spent several minutes bragging that all debates will be open to the public, transparency, you know. However, they have been for some time, if his Republican constituents just turn on C-SPAN.
McCarthy’s voice through much of the speech went up and down like a yoyo. Loud when saying nuggets like “We must get America back on track,” then ending his thought so quietly it is hardly heard as though it held some profound something. It never did, just the end of a less than stellar sentence.
New Speaker McCarthy made up some nonsense about hanging out in the back of Statuary Hall where supposedly Lincoln sat (or something), and in the dark of night when no one is around. It sounded weird rather than the moving image I suspect he intended.
How sad the Speaker had to follow Hakeem Jeffries’s speech. Even adding Lincoln and Washington didn’t help. His iteration of who was in the boat in the painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware and their rowing together was disingenuous and disjointed. He has rarely if ever talked about diversity or inclusion meaningfully and he didn’t do it this time either. He may think he did, though because he was really into it.
This is going to be a rough two years with McCarthy as Speaker if his “speech” is any indication. The Republican House Circus ended with a man who lost 14 tiresome ballots standing in front of his colleagues demonstrating his lack of public speaking talent as well as his shallowness. Of course, he had to remind everyone that he never gives up. He also knows no shame which is more problematic. He claims to be working for the American people, the ones in the boat with Washington, but it will be interesting to see which American people, and if he would have people thrown out of the boat if they don’t row the way he demands they row. I vote he will go for tossing folks from the boat.
The poor speech preparation for such an important event that
McCarthy was supposedly planning for all his political life has mostly been
ignored, probably because no one expected better from him. My guess is
his leadership will be as shallow and as mean as the underlying message of the
speech, America look out, we’re going after Democrats and anyone who gets in
the way of our rowing. Tonight, the House is supposed to vote on the
rules that will run the House for two years, one of them to disband/ignore the
Ethics Committee. Hmmm! Let’s see, who might the Ringmaster
be protecting?
Last week the circus opened. Now, the clowns are in charge. So, we had better look out because clowns are usually entertainers, not folks skilled at governing. I wonder how long it will take for Republicans to admit they made a mistake choosing McCarthy as Speaker-Ringmaster. I guess, two years.
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