Before we leave the U.S. House
For some of us it was hard to avoid watching parts of Kevin McCarthy’s self-debasement in his protracted effort to become the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Twenty initial Republican holdouts, under the apparent leadership of two right wing Republican House members, Matt Gaetz, (R-FL) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO), forced McCarthy to beg for votes in order to end his agony on the fifteenth ballot. A haggard-looking McMorris Rodgers (R-CD5, eastern WA) was seen in her signature black and white checked blazer shaking her head at the spectacle. Like a majority of the Republican caucus McMorris Rodgers voted fifteen times for Kevin McCarthy, no doubt hoping Republicans could avoid the political spotlight focused on their dysfunction.
Consider this: There was only the slimmest of chances that House Republicans could elect anyone other than McCarthy (unless, of course, some of them committed political suicide by appealing to and bargaining with Democrats for votes). McCarthy served in Republican House leadership from 2009 onward, just two years after he was first elected to the House in 2006 (just two years after McMorris Rodgers herself was elected). As a practical matter, no other Republican ever garnered more than 20 votes in any ballot during the entire spectacle—a spectacle most Republicans in the House had wished to avoid. (Even Jim Jordan, the nasty former Ohio wrestling coach and one of the two twenty-vote recipients, actually voted fifteen times for Kevin McCarthy.)
Dueling Speeches
In the wee hours of the morning last Saturday, after Kevin McCarthy had finally won his coveted prize of the Speakership, two remarkable acceptance speeches were given, speeches all Americans should watch in full and compare: Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) rose to speak as the new Minority Leader of the House Democrats and Kevin McCarthy spoke as the new Speaker of the House.
As an American I found Jeffries’ speech compelling. Watch House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ historic first speech (You could start at the 4:15 mark where he quotes from Galatians—if you’re given to impatience.) Jeffries speech should go down in history as an inspiration—but don’t take my word for it—click, listen, and share widely.
In stark contrast is McCarthy’s rambling 27 minutes of “remarks”. (In this video McMorris Rodgers stands out in her checked jacket.) I will refrain from dissecting McCarthy’s words, except to note that (at 6:02) he declares (the italics are mine), “I know the night is late, but when we come back our very first bill will repeal the funding for 87,000 new IRS agents.” The entire Republican side, including McMorris Rodgers, stands and applauds. Oh, my God. If that is the loftiest thing McCarthy can think of to bring first to the House floor then the national Republican Party (and “our” Representative) are a sad lot indeed. First, his numbers are based on a flat out lie. Defunding the IRS is a dog whistle to wealthy tax cheats and those skating (with the aid of their hired lawyers) at the edge of legal tax avoidance, a dog whistle telling these uneasy folk that House Republicans will protect them from the inconvenience (and possible criminal liability) of an audit. (Of course, the Republican base has been drummed with the idea that they would be the victims of persecution by a better-funded IRS.) I invite you to listen to McCarthy drone on about “woke” politics and endless investigations…
Jeffries’ speech is one for the history books. McCarthy’s, one hopes and prays, is destined for the dustbin.
Keep to the high ground,
Jerry
P.S. I cannot resist one more quote from McCarthy: “This chamber is now fully open for all Americans to visit.” (9:25) With those words McCarthy implies (to the gullible) that the House chamber has not been open. His words are another dog whistle, this time to the concealed carry crowd. Since the January 6th insurrection two years ago all House members were required to pass through magnetometers (metal detectors) to come onto the House floor—an inconvenience against which House Republicans have railed for two years. On January 3, 2023, with the incoming Republican majority, the magnetometers were removed. Now, apparently, Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert, both strong proponents of carrying arms (as well as insolent and confrontational participants in the events of January 6th)—and anyone else of the same ilk—might enter the House Chamber with a weapon. THAT is the dog whistle the Republicans, including McMorris Rodgers, applauded for a full 20 seconds—accompanied by a chant of “U.S.A., U.S.A.” the same chant that echoes in the halls of the Capitol the day of the insurrection. Apparently, this is their vision of a better America…