The U.S. House of Representatives is having a bit of an existential crisis thanks to the fight for the House Speakership. Will it be Kevin McCarthy? Or, as Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, and Scott Perry are reportedly willing, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries?
The vibe in the GOP leadership right now is that it’s time to have the fight with the HFC that has been brewing for 12 years. Will McCarthy end up as speaker? Who knows. This speaker fight can go a long long time.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 3, 2023
MORE NEWS —
In a private mtg yesterday, GAETZ, BOEBERT, PERRY told McCarthy they wanted their OWN legal entity in House to wage lawsuits.
The group also told McCarthy that they don’t mind if the speaker vote goes to plurality and @RepJeffries is elected bc they’ll fight him. https://t.co/UMSJX0DmFI
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 3, 2023
As of the time of this post’s publication, we’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out.
Of course, there’s one person that the House GOP may not have considered yet: former GOP-turned-Libertarian Rep. Justin Amash. Recall that back in November of 2020, Amash generously volunteered his services as Speaker:
If neither party has the votes to elect a speaker of the House, I’d be happy to serve as a nonpartisan speaker who ensures the institution works as it’s supposed to—a place where all ideas are welcome and where outcomes are discovered through the process, not dictated from above.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) November 11, 2020
Fast-forward to today, and Amash once again has put an offer on the table to step in and straighten things out:
I’m not a current member of Congress, but I do know what’s at stake. I’d gladly serve as speaker of the House for one term to show people the kind of legislative body we can have if someone at the top actually cares about involving every representative in the work of legislating.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
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Intrigued? Well, then, you’ll want to stick around for the rest of his thread:
Though he’s had trouble securing universal Republican support, the leading contender for speaker of the House remains Kevin McCarthy, which is sad. Even the people pledging to vote for him know that he’s totally unqualified and unfit to be speaker.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
While McCarthy’s awful voting record tells you a lot about his philosophy, critical to the role of speaker is a particular aspect of a person’s philosophy that isn’t always apparent from votes: the person’s commitment to a deliberative legislative process.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
Process is where McCarthy fails miserably. McCarthy promises reforms, but he’s a notorious liar with a history of using and manipulating people. Some have compared him to Paul Ryan, who turned out to be one of the worst speakers ever, but McCarthy doesn’t deserve that much grace.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
Ouch.
Ryan had never served in leadership before he first ran for speaker. There was at least a small possibility he might fulfill his promises. McCarthy, in contrast, has been in GOP leadership since before I entered Congress. We already know how he’ll govern: completely self-serving.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
All evidence suggests that McCarthy, if elected speaker, will be singularly focused on doing whatever it takes to remain speaker. He’s motivated by power, not principles. A person with this mindset—that the end justifies the means—will, by definition, put the process last.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
Unsurprisingly, McCarthy has never shown deep concern about the broken legislative process whenever Republicans have been in charge. He has happily joined other Republican leaders to shut down debate, outlaw amendments, and rush unread legislation to the floor for a vote.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
I co-founded the House @freedomcaucus specifically to fight back against these abuses, with the goal of decentralizing the legislative process. In fact, I drafted the group’s mission statement, which emphasizes “open” and “accountable” government—not outcomes but process.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
It’s time for HFC to live up to its mission by denying McCarthy the speakership. Rejecting McCarthy does not mean handing the position to a Democrat, ending up with a Democrat in GOP clothing (Cheney), or settling for an establishment figure (Upton)—at least it doesn’t have to.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
Though we’ve had our strong disagreements, @RepAndyBiggsAZ is someone I respect—with a record of concern about process under GOP rule—and a friend. He’d run the House in a far more open and accountable manner than McCarthy while also forging better relationships with Democrats.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
But I don’t think Andy—or any of McCarthy’s chief Republican detractors—can amass the votes to become speaker. After the first round, it’s likely for several reasons that any serious contender will have to win the votes of a significant portion of both Republicans and Democrats.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
For starters, tension in the GOP conference will be extremely high. Members of Congress tie their careers to specific individuals in leadership. As the hierarchy crumbles, they’ll see their lives flash before their eyes. They won’t be in the mood to support McCarthy’s GOP rivals.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
Likewise, those who oppose McCarthy will not be inclined to support someone they perceive to be no better than McCarthy, including his lieutenants, other establishment figures, and especially retiring Republicans who now role play as Democrats.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
Without (near) unanimous GOP support for a candidate, the most likely outcome is a substantial divide. That’s because as soon as any Dem votes are required, the prospective speaker will have to appeal to at least dozens of Democrats; they will not move without herd protection.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
This also holds in the other direction. Republicans will not vote for a Democratic speaker without a big group of GOP colleagues to give them cover.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
Ultimately, though, no member of Congress wants to vote for someone from the other major party. It will alienate them from colleagues in their own party and earn them a contentious primary. The parties are too intrinsically hostile to one another to avoid this situation.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
And that’s where Justin Amash comes in:
That’s why I’m offering myself as an alternative, independent choice for speaker. I’m not a member of either party in the House, and I’ve championed legislative process reforms under both Republican and Democratic leadership. Most important, I can be trusted to stick to my word.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
Democrats know that, regardless of our policy differences, they can count on me to maintain a system that is fair and representative. Every member will be empowered to legislate, and ideas will win based on votes, not dictates or pressure from the speaker.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
Moreover, my record proves I’m willing to take on Republicans—even some of my closest friends—to stand up for what I believe is right. I’m not beholden to either party, and my primary interest will be reinvigorating the institution to serve the people as a deliberative body.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
Does reinvigorating his political career factor into his offer as well? Maybe just a little?
Republicans can proceed with the assurance that their majority will mean something under an Amash speakership. Priority legislation that complies with the Constitution will get a vote; I won’t put my thumb on the scale with respect to policies. If they have the numbers, they win.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
Ironically, the person who most obviously benefits from my election as speaker is McCarthy. If he can’t secure the speakership himself, then the last thing he wants is another Republican to be chosen. If I’m speaker, he can maintain his position as the highest ranking GOP leader.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
Finally, I’m the House @freedomcaucus’s best viable option. I co-founded the group, authored its current mission statement, and remain friends with many of them. I want to see them succeed in their struggle for an open, accountable process. They will get their ideas to the floor.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
We’ll restore the rule that allows any one member—not just a group from the majority party—to move to vacate the chair. The speakership belongs to the institution, not one party. The motion protects the people, and every member should be empowered to hold the speaker accountable.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
We have the opportunity to revolutionize Congress and revitalize our constitutional republic. As speaker, I would push for single-issue bills. I’d let committees work through bills without interference. I’d ensure rules are followed, not regularly suspended, waived, or ignored.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
I’d allow amendments from the floor. I’d give members adequate time to review bills. I’d ask for recorded votes and end proxy voting. We can make the House work as it was meant to work—not as an oligarchy, but as a deliberative body that respects the diversity of its membership.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 3, 2023
OK, but … does Justin Amash actually believe he has a snowball’s chance in hell of being elected House Speaker?
I’d support this, but the only way you become speaker is if the multiverse interpretation of quantum mechanics is correct, and we live in one of the lower probability branches.
— Neil Suits (@neil_suits) January 3, 2023
Amash can’t honestly believe in his heart that he could possibly pull this off, which raises a question: why, exactly, is he doing this?
In which Justin Amash torpedoes the persona he's built up over the last three years in a cynical bid for power that no one in the House will actually take seriously anyway.
Immensely disappointing thread: https://t.co/rA6mAAkGML
— Yesh Ginsburg (@yesh222) January 3, 2023
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Related:
Rep. Justin Amash launches exploratory committee to seek Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination
THAT didn’t take long: Justin Amash won’t be making a third party run for the White House after all
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