Why The House Always Wins
Why The House Always Wins
Checking in on the 118th Congress
Setting the scene
Remember when the House of Representatives was on the verge of breaking down?
It was only a few short weeks ago when there were 14 votes over the course of 4 days cast for Speaker of the Hou
se. A few "rebels" including Matt Gaetz of Florida and Lauren Boebert of Colorado have the historical distinction of triggering the 15th occasion that Congress had to cast multiple votes for Speaker of the House.
If you'll recall, during the height of the political drama many in the media made comparisons to the longest speaker vote held in American history, just four short years before The Battle at Fort Sumpter and the beginning of the Civil War. And wouldn't you know it? They were arguing (in part) over slavery. What was left out of many contemporary accounts however was just how divided that House of Representatives was. The political instability was so great, the two-party system failed, and multiple factions vied for control of the People's House. By the end of the Civil War however, the two-party would reassert its dominance and continue to present day.
While it was the first time in 100 years, the 4 day 15 vote battle of 2023 ranks only ranks 5th and 4th respectively. I remember far less time given to putting the speaker vote into the historical context, even though the information is readily available online. At the time, it was far more beneficial to pick at the constantly re-healing historical scab known as racism.
The refrain echoed across cable news and other respectable news outlets. The "rebel scum" aka Freedom Caucus and others who opposed Kevin McCarthy's ascendancy were obstructionist know-nothings who were accused of tarnishing the reputation of the party, hurting the American people, and endangering national security. It didn't matter that Donald Trump endorsed McCarthy, these few members were able to withhold their votes until McCarthy agreed to much of their terms. These terms include, committee appointments, promises to let members of Congress read bills 72 hours before a vote, a select committee to investigate collusion between the government and Big Tech, and votes on border security. It remains to be seen whether any of these concessions will have any real effect on the day-to-day of Washington.
Why the House wins
While I would judge the overall process of withholding votes for concessions from Republican Leadership a "good" political move. We would do well to not get caught up in the luster and bluster of what we here call "The Cult of American Democracy." There is no place the establishment GOP prefers to be than only in control of the House. Under Obama, during the Tea Party Movement there were countless bills passed in the house that were meant to be anti-Obama and his legislative agenda. However, each of those votes went to a Democratic controlled Senate which meant they stood no chance of becoming law.
The 118th Congress could just as easily replicate this phenomenon - raising money for 2024 and causing just enough of a buzz to make the unsuspecting conservative believe change is possible. In the meantime, the establishment will continue its work, irrespective of the votes cast by American citizens or their so-called representatives. It reminds me of a casino: people play the games and while some will walk out of the casino richer than they walked in, most lose money. No matter your intelligence, skill, or wealth accessible sometimes you're going to go bust. When that happens, the House is there to collect what was yours as it carries on none the wiser to your existence.
Further Reading:
McCarthy Elected Speaker Of The House After 15 Rounds (zero hedge)
'That was easy, huh?' Rep. Kevin McCarthy becomes speaker of the House (the blaze)
The Longest and Most Contentious Speaker Election in House History (usa house of representatives archive)
Know Nothing Party (wikipedia)
Free Soil Party (wikipedia)