With the clock ticking down toward a government shutdown, Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz approached a Democratic lawmaker on the House floor this week with a surprising pitch.
If Democrats were able to form a coalition with anyone, it would be Biden district Republicans. In that case, they should give the speakership to a Biden district Republican and focus on new house rules that make it easier for Democrats to operate under a coalition house.
Speakership is voted on by House members, not party. A simple majority of votes is all it takes. If someone is absent, the amount of votes required goes down.
The Democrats are nearly half of the house, so if a few Republicans did not vote or joined the Democrats, their candidate would become Speaker. Because the Speaker can be anyone, not just a current House member, they could nominate not-McCarthy Paul Ryan and feasibly succeed. Ryan is likely not interested though.
I don’t think the Constitution requires the speaker to be a member of the House. Dems and a handful of reps could give it back to Paul Ryan.
Correct. I can think of worse people, like the current occupant of the seat.
Ryan wouldn’t be my choice, but beats hell out of anything the current crop of Rs could put up.
Paul Ryan sucks.
If Democrats were able to form a coalition with anyone, it would be Biden district Republicans. In that case, they should give the speakership to a Biden district Republican and focus on new house rules that make it easier for Democrats to operate under a coalition house.
I think Ole Marge tried to get trump as the speaker during the nonsense with McCarthy’s vote.
Why would they want Paul Ryan, he’s an idiot
Dems could pick the speaker? How is that possible?
Speakership is voted on by House members, not party. A simple majority of votes is all it takes. If someone is absent, the amount of votes required goes down.
The Democrats are nearly half of the house, so if a few Republicans did not vote or joined the Democrats, their candidate would become Speaker. Because the Speaker can be anyone, not just a current House member, they could nominate not-McCarthy Paul Ryan and feasibly succeed. Ryan is likely not interested though.