What are we doing?
I get that frustration with the House Republican leadership has reached sky-high limits, especially as they feel like they’re doing nothing to force Joe Biden to secure the border. There hasn’t been much of a difference, if any, between Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and the ousted Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). We’re still screwing around with Ukraine and Israel's aid. There are concerns about spending—I get it. There are multiple opinions about the direction of the House Republican majority, and they might all be right.
News today:
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 22, 2024
- Minibus passes
- MTG files motion to vacate
- Granger stepping down as Approps chair
- Gallagher leaving congress before end of term, leaving GOP w 1-seat majority
As Spencer wrote yesterday, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) filed a motion to vacate the speakership, setting up a potential showdown for the gavel again. Why? It’s an election year. This move screams chaos, which is something to temper as a particular presidential nominee gets slapped with that phrase, whether it’s fair or not. House conservatives had a chance to right the speaker’s office, which they did when they booted McCarthy. On this stuff, you only get one bite at the apple, and even then, it was shambolic. I’m not opposed to the action, in general, but here’s the point: if Johnson and McCarthy aren’t all that different, why did we give Democrats a soft political win?
ALERT -- MTG has walked out of the chamber.....Doesn't seem as if she will as for privilege today. So this will remain in the hopper.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 22, 2024
On the other side, I can see why Johnson feels hamstrung: he has a paper-thin majority, whereas Biden and House Democrats know he can’t maneuver on big-ticket items. If the House Republican caucus was in lockstep, that’s another thing. Still, we’re seeing retirements and vocal opposition to essential House GOP items, like the impeachment of Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, which got screwed by a handful of House Republicans, like Colorado Representative Ken Buck, who keep throwing grenades into the tent. We expelled former Representative George Santos, though Democratic New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez remains in the Senate, and Mr. Buck is saying sayonara to the Congress. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI) is also running for the hills, announcing that he’ll retire next month. It also screws the House GOP like never before:
A statement from Congressman Mike Gallagher. pic.twitter.com/dOBcM8kbNV
— Rep. Gallagher Press Office (@RepGallagher) March 22, 2024
Gallagher is in an R+15 district so he isn't protecting his seat from a Democrat winning a special election.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 22, 2024
He’s purposely leaving it vacant through November to sabotage the Republican majority.
Really letting you know what he actually thinks of conservatives on the way out. https://t.co/mB33xv3Ed9
So, we only have a one-vote majority in the lower chamber. I like Ms. Greene. Her initial banishment from committee assignments because she said some mean things about Representative Nancy Pelosi was absurd. Her firebrand, take-no-prisoners approach on the Hill is necessary—she plays the role of enforcer well. But it's okay to fold when you don’t have the winning hand. It’s a long game; not every battle will be favorable. To put it another way, as Gordon Gekko told Bud Fox when the two bought up and later sold their block of shares of Anacott Steel, the reason he folded was because he didn’t have the capital reserves—“You can’t piss in the tall weeds with the big dogs” without them. Fox later gives a rundown of the Art of War.
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If your enemy is superior, evade him. If angry, irritate him. If equally matched, fight. If not, run away and reevaluate.
I think the House GOP needs to reevaluate. Do we want to boot Mr. Johnson while our own side appears to be eroding into oblivion? Not for nothing, but would it shock you if some squishy Republican sides with the Democrats and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries becomes the speaker? It was a mess before, I'm not expecting much should this vacate motion go through. Democrats aren't going to lift a finger to help Republicans here, as they did with McCarthy. Another issue is who would want to be the new speaker on the GOP side?
Shutting down the government over the serial failure to secure the border is a worthy cause. I want to see it happen, but we can’t always get what we want. A one-seat majority isn’t enough to scare the Democrats, and every time this caucus plans something substantial, there appears to be no plan—like when the motion to vacate was filed against McCarthy. Democratic leadership knows this, and so does Joe Biden when he’s reminded that he’s the president.
MTG is in the back of the chamber, talking to Michael McCaul, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 22, 2024
Also worth noting: The House can just gavel out and ignore her if she tries to notice the intent to bring up the resolution.
remember re a motion to vacate -- MTG files it and has to ASK for privilege. or else it just sits in the hopper.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 22, 2024
Remember on motion to vacate: MTG has to go to a mic and call up the resolution. Then the leadership can delay the vote for two legislative days. That would put this until after recess, two+ weeks from now. https://t.co/xJUEnSVdnd
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 22, 2024
