Up until this point in the GOP battle for the Speaker of the House, compromised Florida congressman Matt Gaetz has been treating the whole affair as if he is a high school kid playing some kind of game, perhaps the […]
House of Representatives
Nancy Pelosi on the Speaker of the House mess
Not following what is happening in the House of Representatives? Click here and here and here and here to get up to speed. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made a few comments to reporters yesterday: Pelosi also said […]
A bad day for Kevin McCarthy
After eleven votes, the House of Representatives still does not have a Speaker. A few minutes ago the House of Representatives–the people’s house–decided to adjourn for the night. They apparently got tired and hungry. We saw a lot of crazy […]
In 1855-1856, the Speaker of the House was decided after 133 votes
As I write, the House is completing its eighth ballot for Speaker of the House. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic candidate, continues to get a plurality of the vote. The GOP is still divided, with most Republicans behind Kevin McCarthy and […]
Rep. Scott Perry references Frederick Douglass from the House floor. Historian David Blight is having none of it.
I have never voted for Scott Perry, but he does represent me in the United States House of Representatives. Perry is the chairman of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus. He refused to cooperate with the House committee investigating January 6th […]
Song of the Day
Today’s Song of the Day is dedicated to California GOP representative Kevin McCarthy as he seeks to win the speakership of the House of Representatives: Listen to the entire song:
The fight for Speaker of the House continues
Six ballots and still no Speaker of the House. The House is on break until 8:00pm. The hard-right, anti-McCarthy wing has stayed unified today. CNN is reporting that McCarthy is now meeting with some members of the hard-right group in […]
Evangelical roundup: Damar Hamlin and Speaker of the House edition
Here is what evangelical Christians are saying about Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin and the drama that took place today in the House of Representatives: On Hamlin: This is becoming a popular position on the MAGA-loving Christian Right: Lance Wallnau: […]
The enemy of my enemy is my friend
In November 2021, Arizona representative Paul Gosar was censured and stripped of his committee assignments in the House for posting an anime video that showed him killing New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He did not apologize: Here was Ocasio-Cortez’s response: […]
How will the GOP investigate Hunter’s laptop if they can’t even pick a Speaker of the House?
If you haven’t followed this today, get up to speed here. If the GOP members of the House can’t pick a Speaker, how will they advance their agenda? How will they investigate Hunter Biden’s laptop? How will they impeach Joe […]
1923 was the last time a vote for Speaker of the House went more than one ballot
The House of Representatives just adjourned for the day. It did not choose a speaker. Hakeem Jeffries won on the first ballot. Jeffries also won on the second ballot and third ballot. Nineteen right-wing Republicans voted against McCarthy on the […]
Can the Democrats hold the Senate?
Yes. And it looks like they will. Last night the major networks called the Arizona senate race for Mark Kelly. At this moment, the Democrats and the Republicans each hold 49 seats in the U.S. Senate. Two seats have yet […]
The January 6 committee is back this week and Zoe Lofgren says they will reveal some “pretty surprising” new information
Here is CNBC: The House Jan. 6 select committee’s next public hearing will reveal new material about former President Donald Trump’s plans and how much he knew about the Capitol riot, one of the panel’s members said Tuesday. The committee’s ninth […]
E.J. Dionne endorses Liz Cheney
Here is the liberal Washington Post columnist: Vote for Cheney. Now there is a sentence I never expected to write. Yes, I hope that every Democrat and every moderate and progressive-minded unaffiliated voter in Wyoming crosses into the Republican primary on Aug. […]
The House of Representatives, including 47 Republicans, codify same-sex marriage
Yesterday the House passed the Respect for Marriage Act. Here is NBC News: The House passed the Respect For Marriage Act Tuesday to codify legal same-sex marriage nationwide, fearing that the conservative majority on the Supreme Court will rescind the right after […]
Lauren Boebert has a challenger. His campaign announcement is not for the faint of heart
Here is The Daily Beast: Political newcomer Alex Walker, the latest Democratic challenger to toss his hat into the ring to unseat MAGA-boosting Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), announced his presence with perhaps the most nauseating campaign ad ever. The two-minute online […]
A database of the 1,715 members of Congress who owned slaves
The Washington Post has published a database of American enslavers. It includes some familiar names: Thomas Hart Benton, John C. Breckinridge, Preston Brooks, Aaron Burr, Pierce Butler, John C. Calhoun, Charles Carroll, Henry Clay, De Witt Clinton, Davy Crockett, Jefferson […]
Rep. Jamie Raskin of the Jan. 6 select committee calls Trump a “walking crime wave”
He also said that the upcoming hearings will “blow the roof off the House.” Here is David Knowles of Yahoo News: On a Thursday Zoom call with progressive activists, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said that the upcoming hearings by the Jan. […]
Is it time to expand the House of Representatives?
Lee Drutman and Yuval Levin think this might be a good idea. Here is a taste of their piece at The Washington Post: Americans observing the members of the House of Representatives in action generally don’t end up wishing there […]
Does the Jan. 6 House Select Committee now possess the political equivalent of Heidi Fleiss’s black book?
Remember Heidi Fleiss, the so-called “Hollywood Madam? She had a lot of important clients in her Rolodex. Last night we learned that former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows will not cooperate any further with the House Select Committee investigating […]