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It’s hard to think of a more poignant split screen, or one that reveals more about this moment in American politics, than the one that emerged on Friday afternoon.
On one side, from the White House, there is a a ceremony honoring heroes who two years ago opposed the coup attempt of former President Donald Trump – at the ballot box, during the voting and, finally, with January 6 attack on Capitol Hill.
Among the recipients of the Presidential Citizens Medal are Michael Fanone, Eugene Goodman and Caroline Edwards, three former officers who defended the Capitol building from pro-Trump insurgents. Also at the ceremony were Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, a mother and daughter election worker from Atlanta whom Trump mentioned in his speech — and who faced death threats.
HuffPost’s SV date has the full story, including some comments by President Joe Biden.
“History will remember your name,” Biden said, addressing the award winners, along with the families of three officers who died after the uprising and receiving the medal posthumously. “What you do has consequences.”
The other half of the split screen is from the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, on Capitol Hill, where the House is in its center. 13th vote the next speaker and California Republican Kevin McCarthy still has not locked up the votes he needed.
By now, you probably already know the background to this drama: It takes a majority of the members of the House of Representatives who vote to become speaker. Because Republicans control the chamber by the slimmest of margins, and because Democrats won’t vote for Republicans, the GOP caucus needs agreement to choose a leader.
Tom Williams via Getty Images
In normal times, this would not be such a difficult task, which is why it has been over 100 years since the speaker was voted on by multiple ballots. But these are not normal times, and this past week, again and again, McCarthy fell because a small group of extremist Republicans remained abstinent.
McCarthy finally appeared to advance on Friday afternoon, when about a dozen “no” votes went to “yes,” so he was two or three or four short of what he needed, depending on how many members continued. participate in future votes. (The requirement is for a majority of members to vote, so if some members are absent or just vote “now”, then the threshold for winning is lowered.)
When the House adjourned until 10 pm on Friday, and with some of McCarthy’s supporters returning from a trip, it looks like he can finally be on track to win, if not then at some point in the weekend – and maybe in time. you are reading this. (HuffPost’s Capitol Hill team has been covering this story, minute by minute, and you can find the latest on our homepage.)
But if McCarthy ends up winning, the real story will be the concessions he made to extremists in order to gain support.
One of the most important: the agreement to allow a congressional equivalent of a vote of no confidence, whenever a member requests one. That will make it difficult for McCarthy to challenge even a small group of Republicans, creating a potential crisis when the US reaches its debt ceiling later this year. If Congress doesn’t vote to raise the “debt ceiling” — that is, authorize more borrowing — it will foot the bill, potentially creating a financial crisis not only here but abroad.
Most countries do not require a vote to increase the debt authority, and in this country it was not usually a major controversy until the presidency of Barack Obama, when Republicans began to use the debt ceiling vote as leverage to demand policy changes – that is, big cuts. for federal programs – which cannot be done alone.
He succeeded, in part, in winning some spending concessions. But some Republicans want even more dramatic cuts; then-Speaker John Boehner, they believe, cut the offer too quickly and with too many concessions. House Republicans voted against McCarthy this week worried he would do the same thing, which is one reason why they are determined to limit his powers – as, apparently, he has agreed to do.
You might wonder why this group of extremist Republicans has more influence over party leadership than the extremist Republicans of the Boehner era, which was only a few years ago. And there is no simple answer.
But part of the explanation is a change in the incentive structure on Capitol Hill. Until now, members had an incentive to follow the leader because, otherwise, they wouldn’t get committee assignments — or concessions in legislation — that should produce benefits for their constituents and supporters. That makes it harder to raise money and generate support and, ultimately, win re-election.
Win McNamee via Getty Images
Today, elected officials can garner support and collect donations simply by making their own name in traditional and social media, which rewards rhetoric more than results. And while that’s true for both parties, the effect is especially strong for Republicans because of the insular dynamics of right-wing politics.
“You get people who believe that this is the way to stardom,” Norm Ornstein, political scientist and scholar emeritus at the American Enterprise Institute, told HuffPost. “And vaulting to stardom means you’re going to be featured at CPAC. It means you’re going to be a national figure, appearing regularly on ‘Tucker Carlson.’ And that means you will be able to earn a lot of money.
Another part of the explanation may be the wider changes in the Republican Party as a whole – in particular, the arrival of the younger generation who grew up hearing from their leaders that the Democrats are socialist and fundamentally anti-American, and are considering extreme measures like crashing. America’s credit rating in world markets is a worthwhile, even necessary, response.
“If in fact the ideology and rhetoric that has been used over the years is true – it is not true, but if it is – the only really good position is that we have to close everything,” Heather Cox RichardsonBoston College historian and author of many reads Substacktold HuffPost.
Most Americans do not subscribe to these views, of course. But House Republicans are pushing ahead. With his vote against McCarthy and the concessions he had won, he gave himself the opportunity to impose his will – which, of course, is what the rebels did on January 6, when they tried to make Trump. president even though he lost the election.
This is an act of political violence. This week’s election was an act of political blackmail. They are not the same thing, obviously. But they are no different either.