Even Trump is now powerless: Republicans in historical gossip theater - that's what it's all about
Created: 07/01/2023, 06:00
By: Florian Naumann
Donald Trump and Kevin McCarthy: A rather surprising but so far unsuccessful alliance.
© Anna Moneymaker/www.imago-images.de
The US House of Representatives descends into grotesque chaos.
Nothing works anymore – the reason is a dispute among the Republicans.
And probably also the hope of posting.
Washington, DC/Munich – The USA is currently experiencing an unprecedented political spectacle: On Friday night (January 6th), Republican Kevin McCarthy failed for the eleventh time to be Speaker of the House of Representatives – despite his party's majority.
And there is no end in sight: the election is only "postponed" for the time being.
The next act should follow on Friday evening Central European Time.
The election has apparently long since become an expression of a confusion of interests within the heavily divided "Grand Old Party".
And probably also to a plaything of personal interests.
The actually rather moderate McCarthy had made substantive concessions to his hard-right opponents, such as the option to vote out the speaker more easily.
Even Donald Trump himself campaigned for McCarthy's election - unsuccessfully.
The exit is open.
But it is already an embarrassment of historic proportions.
Why does McCarthy keep failing the Republicans?
There are now 21 Republican MPs who refuse to approve McCarthy – but the new Republican majority would only have room for four dissenters.
For the first time in 100 years, the selection of the house speaker takes so long.
The
New York Times
already sees the problems as a possible harbinger of an "era of dysfunction and confusion."
Some Republicans also see themselves unnecessarily blocked, for example on the way to new committees of inquiry.
"Republicans, don't turn a great triumph into a gigantic embarrassing defeat.
(...) Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, maybe even a great one - wait and see!"
Donald Trump advertised Kevin McCarthy in his short message service "Truth Social" - so far unsuccessfully.
But why the theatre?
According to a report by the broadcaster NPR, some of the opponents have further specific demands – above all of a power-tactical nature in the parliamentary rules of procedure.
Others, initially partly supported by Trump, are in fundamental opposition: "The core group are anti-establishment, ideological government skeptics: They want the government to be smaller, do less, spend less and they are hardliners on immigration issues," it says.
In some cases, they also regard McCarthy himself as a representative of the establishment – the problems seem unsolvable.
The joke: McCarthy has been "courting" the right-wing Republican wing since 2015 at the latest, hoping for votes, as noted by CNN.
This calculation didn't add up.
US House of Representatives in self-blockade: Apparently it's also about posts
But there is probably a second side.
Apparently, several protagonists are concerned about posts.
According to Die Zeit
correspondent Johanna Roth
, ardent Trump supporter Matt Gaetz is hoping to chair a committee that will oversee the military budget;
explosive in times of the Ukraine war.
Parliament newcomer Andy Ogles wants to make an unusual career leap directly into the finance and justice committee.
Meanwhile, McCarthy has pulled another ultra-right on his side with the same lever: According to
Zeit
, he promised Marjorie Greene a post in the parliamentary control committee.
Now she voted for him with obvious conviction.
Although in terms of content it actually fits perfectly into the circle of McCarthy opponents.
Trump's Republicans in "Dante's Inferno": "We have to go into the back room"
Meanwhile, the situation is blossoming: On Thursday, Trump himself was suddenly up for election in the eleventh round of voting.
Gaetz nominated Trump – and was ultimately the only one who voted for him.
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"Dante's Inferno has many phases, and we're in one of them right now," Republican Rep. Jeff van Drew told The
New York Times
.
But things cannot go on like this.
"We need to get everyone in the back room and start beating the nonsense apart."
The blockade has meanwhile had concrete consequences: Without a chairman, the deputies cannot be sworn in, form committees and start drafting legislation.
The election is repeated until a candidate achieves a simple majority in the House of Representatives.
The office of Speaker of the House is the third highest in the United States governmental hierarchy, after the President and Vice President.
McCarthy wants to succeed Democrat Nancy Pelosi in the post.
(
fn with material from AFP
)
