Category: Speaker of the House

Marjorie Taylor Greene, Legislator . . . from Deep Space

Michael Matheron1 Comment

The walking, talking, vacuum Marjorie Taylor Greene has again and again fashioned herself as the guardian-at-arms of her self-appointed House leadership office: Lady High Executioner of the Speaker of the House. She’s not yet met one she didn’t have her fangs out for, and she rarely shuts up about it, demanding attention. attention, and attention. In fact, she’s lately filed a so-called motion to vacate the chair, i.e., the Speaker’s chair, along with its ceremonial gavel. One suspects that she covets that prize – goodbye gavel, hello AR15. Nonetheless, yesterday, in her best dungeon speaking voice she laid down the law to House membership, especially to Mike Johnson, the present Speaker who was then trying to shepherd a group of military assistance bills through the House:

“I don’t care if the Speaker’s office becomes a revolving door. If that’s exactly what needs to happen, then let it be. But the days are over of the old Republican Party that wants to fund foreign wars and murder people in foreign lands, while they stab the American people in their face.”*

How’s that for high dudgeon? Though many in her own party wish she’d simply shut up and resign, they also know she’s a Trump favorite, perhaps on the short list of VP candidates. Of course, that’s ludicrous, but that’s where we are, isn’t it? Would you want an exceedingly bad tempered AR15 packing VP in your White House?

* By the way, Despite MTG’s opposition, Speaker Johnson succeeded in moving the foreign aid package through the House Rules Committee and a vote on that rule was passed by a 316-94 vote this morning, with a final vote on passage perhaps tomorrow, to the relief of Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan.

She Has Her Serious Moments

Although sentient beings criticize MTG for her magnetic attraction to conspiracy theories and for her abhorrence to what many for thousands of years have called facts, her indestructible armor has held up well. Media Matter’s Eric Hannoki, among other duties, seems tasked with keeping tabs on MTG’s various research endeavours, which resulted in what might be called a well worth reading citizen’s annotated guide to her disclosures on various murky matters, listing 28 areas where she has plenty to say. Here’s the kicker: his list is only complete through February 2, 2021! Imagine if, in the intervening years, she put her mind to it! And she did.

In 2022, she told supporters: “The government totally wants to provide surveillance on every part of your life. They want to know when you’re eating. They want to know if you’re eating a cheeseburger, which is very bad because Bill Gates wants you to eat his fake meat, which is grown in a peach tree dish. So you’ll probably get a little zap inside your body and that’s saying, ‘No no! Don’t eat a real cheeseburger, you need to eat the fake, the fake burger, the fake meat from Bill Gates.’”

I haven’t touched a cheeseburger since.

Also, in 2022, when criticizing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of spying on her colleagues, she confused the name of the Nazi secret police, the Gestapo, with a delicious Spanish chilled tomato soup, Gazpacho. With that, she sparked a boom in Gazpacho Police tee shirts, jewelry, and Nazi-themed soups, like Blitzkrieg Chili.

But Wait! There’s More!

Her conspiracy IQ, high as it is, is matched by her grasp of lawmaking, where one’s imagination needs some restraint if legislative proposals are to recognized, approved, and passed. And here, she’s covered herself in glory. In the present 118th Congress she’s sponsored some obviously essential proposals, including:

H.J.Res.95 – Declaring a state of war between certain cartels and the United States of America and making provision to prosecute the same.

H.Res.538 – Expunging the December 18, 2019, impeachment of President Donald John Trump. And, showcasing her principled and consistent stand on the concept and law of constitutional impeachment, she’s sponsored four eminently readable and well-thought out bills calling for the impeachment of President Biden, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Matthew M. Graves, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose Senate trial concluded with both charges dismissed on day one.

H.R.5636 – Protect Children’s Innocence Act, o prohibit gender affirming care of minors.

H.Res.829 – Censuring Representative Rashida Tlaib for antisemitic activity, sympathizing with terrorist organizations, and leading an insurrection at the United States Capitol Complex.

But, Wait Again! There’s Still More!!

Continuing her Jewish space lasers crusade, MTG has offered this amendment to the Israel aid package, but not for Israel’s defense needs, but, rather, to build an anti-immigrant laser defense system on our southwest border in order to deep fry illegal border invaders. Some in Congress do not take her seriously.

Speaker Johnson, Laws Still Exist!

Michael Matheron2 Comments

Two weeks ago I wrote here that on December 5th Speaker of the House Mike Johnson had arguably committed the federal crime of obstruction of justice when he announced that the security videos of January 6, 2021 would be tampered with before releasing them to the public. As he said that day: “As you know, we have to blur some of the faces of persons who participated in the events of that day because we don’t want them to be retaliated against and to be charged by the DOJ, and to have other concerns and problems. [emphasis added] This appears to have violated 18 U.S.Code § 1501 §§ (c) which forbids alteration of, for example, videotapes with “the intent to impair the object’s integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding.”

What is it I deny doing, again?

Since my posting on the matter, Johnson’s Chief of Staff for Communications Raj Shah issued this essentially dishonest “clarification”, or in political jargon, a craven walk-back: “Faces are to be blurred from public viewing room footage to prevent all forms of retaliation against private citizens from any non-governmental actors. The Department of Justice already has access to raw footage from January 6, 2021.” This is a distinction without a difference because blurring faces may, in fact, hide the identity of a January 6th insurrectionists from viewers of the tapes who might be able to disclose their identities to law enforcement actors who are still investigating the attack. Arguably, this “obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so . . .”

Mike Johnson’s Eyes Blur When Reading Federal Laws

Johnson and cohorts, however, may have violated another federal criminal statute:


18 U.S.Code § 3 – Accessory after the fact

Whoever, knowing that an offense against the United States has been committed, receives, relieves, comforts or assists the offender in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension, trial or punishment, is an accessory after the fact.

Except as otherwise expressly provided by any Act of Congress, an accessory after the fact shall be imprisoned not more than one-half the maximum term of imprisonment or (notwithstanding section 3571) fined not more than one-half the maximum fine prescribed for the punishment of the principal, or both; or if the principal is punishable by life imprisonment or death, the accessory shall be imprisoned not more than 15 years.

His blurred faces caper, as he admitted above, was specifically designed to “hinder or prevent . . . apprehension, trial or punishment . . .”

Breaking News: MAGA World Shocked That Laws Still Exist!

Of course, neither of these laws will cause Johnson, and perhaps others, to be perp walked. DOJ will not touch this for obvious reasons. It’s unfortunate, though, that they will never even investigate just a tiny bit as a shot across MAGA’s row boat bow, a warning. The vast majority of MAGA folks, don’t truly recognize a primary fact: the laws of the United States still exist, they could look them up. Despite their self-congratulatory posture as permanent revolutionaries, they have not yet succeeded in bringing their own government to its knees, the government that their legislators swear to support and defend:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

So, Speaker Johnson and other MAGAs, like it or not, have to live in a world where laws still exist and cannot simply be created on the fly, for whatever purpose suits them. There’s a war to win first. And that’s a bit more difficult than merely believing you’ve already won.

Today, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson Obstructed Justice

Michael Matheron2 Comments

“As you know, we have to blur some of the faces of persons who participated in the events of that day because we don’t want them to be retaliated against and to be charged by the DOJ, and to have other concerns and problems. So, that’s a slow process to get it done; we’re working steadily on it. We’ve hired additional personnel to do that But all of those tapes ultimately will be out so everybody can see them and draw their own conclusions.”
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, December 5, 2022

He then went on in his self-gratifying gloria Dei moment to say: “[This] will provide millions of Americans, criminal defendants, public interest organizations, and the media an ability to see for themselves what happened that day, rather than having to rely upon the interpretation of a small group of government officials.” One might add, for him, since he forgot to, that this will also obstruct the ability of investigators to identify suspects in the January 6th insurrection.

He also forgot to add, “This also violates federal law.”

Title 18 of the United States Code contains the laws regarding obstruction of justice within its 20 provisions. To protect documentary evidence, its §1501, subsection (c) reads:

(c) Whoever corruptly—
(1) alters, destroys, mutilates, or conceals a record, document, or other object, or attempts to do so, with the intent to impair the object’s integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding; or
(2) otherwise obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.

Mike Johnson is so full of hubris and theocratic fervor that he doesn’t seem to recognize that federal law still exists. Like most MAGAites he believes that his actions are part of a revolution and therefore legal in, perhaps, God’s eyes. But Johnson and the insurrectionists of January 6th (and many others) do not understand that they need to WIN the political civil war we’re now waging to impose their laws on the nation. For now, they still must operate under the laws that exist, not the ones they plan.

Satan Anoints Louisiana’s Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House

Michael Matheron1 Comment

Donald Trump anointed Louisiana’s Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House with a Truth Social posting:

“I am not going to make an Endorsement in this race, because I COULD NEVER GO AGAINST ANY OF THESE FINE AND VERY TALENTED MEN, all of whom have supported me, in both mind and spirit, from the very beginning of our GREAT 2016 Victory. My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson.”

Shy, unassuming, quite crazy

Don’t believe those who label Johnson a moderate. He even looks moderate. Nonetheless, he is every bit as crazy as Jim Jordan. He’s simply less obnoxious publicly. Moderate Republicans don’t have a 91.7% CPAC lifetime rating (here’s his not moderate voting record); they are not persistent and enthusiastic 2020 election deniers; they don’t write Twitter/X posts like the one below supporting the impeachment of President Biden; they don’t vote against bills requiring health insurance companies to cover congenital anomalies (and yes, Johnson’s a strident right-to-lifer who voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act); they don’t absolutely worship Jim Jordan (see @RepMikeJohnson); they don’t spread conspiracy theories; and they don’t sanctify the satanic Donald Trump. In short, Mike Johnson is a dedicated and therefore crazy, far right-wing MAGAite who will appear to many Americans to be an old-fashioned Republican moderate. Don’t be fooled. Johnson is quite crazy enough to be an acceptable Speaker. Should he win the Speaker’s gavel, he will be a Mini Jim Jordan . . .

Run Jordan Run! He Ran, He Lost, but Did He Win the Prize He Covets Most?

Michael Matheron1 Comment
Tom Hanks Running GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

Why did Jim Jordan’s run for the House Speakership fail? By all measures he had the “right stuff” to win within a MAGA-enthralled GOP majority. As we argued here, Jordan was crazed enough and arguably indictable enough to meet GOP standards, and unlike other craven pro-Trump congressloons like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Chip Roy, he was chairman of the powerful Judiciary Committee. MSNBC observed:

“By some measures, Jordan has earned the label of Congress’ Worst Member. Sure, there are other radicals from the GOP’s insurrectionist wing who appear overtly hostile toward democracy. And yes, there are other conspiracy theorists. There are also others on Capitol Hill who’ve failed to pass legislation, who’ve overseen failed investigations, who care more about Fox News appearances than governing, and who don’t appear the slightest bit interested in the substance of policymaking. But the chairman of the Judiciary Committee stands out because he checks each of the boxes. Jordan was, and is, uniquely unfit to serve as a constitutional officer.”

Nonetheless, Jordan may have won a prize that many MAGA stars seek: the Vice President’s spot on the Trump presidential ticket (should he prevail as the GOP nominee, of course). In fact, when weighing his chances, did Jordan consider this as a prize more desirable in the long run than Speaker of the House? Thus, he may think that losing the Speaker’s contest as a strange win-win, although, admittedly, he’s doesn’t seem to be a thinky kind of guy.

This way, that’s a good boy

Yet, let’s imagine this scenario from Trump’s point of view. Jordan, as possibly the “Worst Member,” as MSNBC crowned him, satisfies – and complements – many of Trump’s attributes: a proud insurrectionist; a vicious fighter; utterly without a moral compass; an unrepentant “stop the stealer”; utterly dull between the ears; always shameless; a knee jerk liar; a candidate for indictment for his January 6th actions; and a reliable showboat. He’s also brought obedience to an art form when it comes to Trump’s defense (for example, during the Speaker’s battle he would not admit, still, that Joe Biden won the 2020 election). In short, Trump might think he’s in safe hands with a Jordan Vice Presidency, it’s unlikely he’d get off the leash, or want to, unlike a Marjorie Taylor Greene, or others Trump has created in his Frankenstein laboratory.

Political consequences of a Jordan VP candidacy in a general election abound, of course. He’d certainly help Trump with the MAGA-undecided vote, by lighting a fire under those who, for instance, don’t consider Trump himself to be radical enough, like card carrying nazis. However, Jordan could energize those many anti-Trump voters who need more evidence that 2024 is not just another election. Also, having two nincompoops on the GOP ballot would often lead to slip ups on the campaign trail, like Jordan answering town hall questions with, “I’m unable to answer where Saint Louis is without a labeled map of France.” Alternatively, Trump is no “stable genius” and would believe that Jordan’s negatives would not affect him with voters, all of whom he believes focus only on himself.

As for Jordan, his ascendancy in the House ended last week in the smoldering wreck of the Speaker’s race. On the third Speaker’s vote last Friday, a secret ballot among the GOP conference, he received 212 nay votes – more than half the conference. Careers that seek leadership positions end on such votes; Jordan ought to realize how many in his party detest him. So, for Jordan his future may only flourish as water boy for Trump. Jordan’s so toxic he deserves the VP’s nod.

Jim Jordan: Is He Crazed and Indictable Enough to Wield the Speaker’s Gavel?

Michael Matheron2 Comments
He’s nuts, but I’m clinically nuts!

Two days ago, Rep. Jim Jordan, the shirtsleeve Ohio congressloon, was picked by the GOP conference as their Speaker of the House nominee. Considering how many votes he needs to become Speaker, his victory over surprise challenger Georgia’s Rep. Austin Scott was anemic: 124-81. Apparently, Scott was too moderate for the majority of the seething GOP conference who prefer Jordan’s undisputed “bad boy” approach to Scott’s more backbench persona, even though he’s a consistent Trump enabler and wants a national ban on abortion, same-sex marriage, and democracy in general. Austin’s pretty crazy; Jordan’s clinically insane. On the issues there’s little crazy space between them. In the mental stability event, they’re a dead heat. Nonetheless, the GOP in the 118th Congress prefers demonstrable insanity and consistent firebrand.

How then to explain the 81 votes Scott won? As we’ve seen, it wasn’t about the crazy. Perhaps, though, those 81 pro Scott voters were desperately looking for someone who is not a future criminal defendant. Under House GOP rules, if Jordan were Speaker he’d have to step aside, thereby causing embarrassment all around. This is a GOP that has embarrassed itself at every turn, and for some who are only moderately deranged, enough is enough.

And, truly, Jordan is a risky Speaker’s choice. First, he might fall afoul of Jack Smith’s January 6th expedition. Second, he’s also involved – though not directly yet – in an ongoing class action civil lawsuit against Ohio State University for its alleged role in covering up sexual misconduct by a sports doctor. Members of the wrestling team allege they alerted then assistant coach Jordan of the doctor’s misconduct which they maintain Jordan did nothing to prevent or report. Some of the 296 athlete plaintiffs have settled with the university, but as for the wrestling team, Jordan remains a deposition subpoena candidate. As we’ve seen, he’s immoderately weak in communication skills; imagine the deposition: “I have no memories of the years in question due to my buzzing-in-my-head disability.”

As another option, was Scott’s loss due to his lack of possible civil or criminal liability? The obvious solution to this perceived disability would have been to vote, en masse, for Jordan. But 81 GOP kooks voted for him. Nonetheless, it’s a long settled fact that the GOP conference, has at least 81 members too addle-brained to recognize this. So it’s possible their nay vote on Scott was to punish him for lack of a respectable criminal or civil portfolio.

He needs to up his game to emerge as a party leader. Surely, he ought to speak with the oft indicted Congressloon George Santos who knows all manner of schemes that are criminal adventures both utterly insipid and easily discovered. He could also cross the aisle and take the much indicted Democratic Senator Bob Menendez to lunch; his crime spree might suggest some avenues for Scott to consider. Congressman Scott, there is still a path to Speaker of the House, go crazier and get yourself quickly indicted, and soon.

Trump as Speaker of the House: Does He Just Not Get It or What?

Michael Matheron1 Comment

This evening, around 6:30 pm EDT, Trump, trying ever so much to be helpful, gracefully assented to stand in as Speaker Pro Tem, apparently not realizing that Congress already has one of those, telling F*X News Digital:

Donny never told me!!!!

“I have been asked to speak as a unifier because I have so many friends in Congress. If they don’t get the vote, they have asked me if I would consider taking the speakership until they get somebody longer-term, because I am running for president. They have asked me if I would take it for a short period of time for the party, until they come to a conclusion—I’m not doing it because I want to—I will do it if necessary, should they not be able to make their decision [about the next Speaker].”

This is quite interesting for two primary reasons:

  1. Trump is not qualified to serve due to the Republican Conference Rules, which disallows anyone in a House leadership position who is also under indictment to serve. In the most favorable circumstances then, he’d show up for work and immediately be required to step aside until his many indictments have been dismissed or have been disposed of through not guilty verdicts. Both unlikely events. (See our article, Trump as Speaker of the House? That’s Not a Thing . . . but It Could Be if God Has A Wicked Sense of Humor)
  2. Trump, obviously, does not know this. His announcement thereby is nothing less than an embarrassment, at best, or utterly stupid, at worst. I vote for the latter. Twice.

So, unless the GOP revises their rules, Trump’s out of luck. Which poor sod is going to tell him? I nominate Donny Jr.

Trump as Speaker of the House? That’s Not a Thing . . . but He Could Be if God Has A Wicked Sense of Humor

Michael Matheron2 Comments

Among the battier ideas floated by GOP congressloons is the movement to install Donald Trump as Speaker of the House. Even though a Speaker does not need to be a member of Congress (imagine Rudy Giuliani as Speaker) they must be qualified to serve according to (present) House party rules. Trump, current holder of a record four criminal indictments and personally a pile of dung, manifestly fails to pass muster under both Republican and Democratic party rules. Although it must be noted, neither party forbids a “pile of dung” to serve as Speaker, nota bene Newt Gingrich (1995-1999). Yet, below I set out a (hopefully wacky) scenario whereby Trump just might sneak into the speakership with a little help from his minions . . . I mean, friends.

Rules, Schmules!

Here’s the present lay of the land that would, if interpreted by relatively sane persons, would bar Trump from the speakership:

Republican Conference Rules of the 118th Congress: Rule 26—Temporary Step Aside of a Member of Leadership who is Indicted  (a) A member of the Republican Leadership shall step aside if indicted for a felony for which a sentence of two or more years imprisonment may be imposed.

Rules of the Democratic Caucus: Rule 4. Temporary Step-Aside of a Member of the Leadership Who Is Indicted
A. The Speaker, Democratic Leader, Democratic Whip, Assistant Speaker, Chair or Vice Chair of the Caucus, Chair of the DCCC, DPCC Chair, any one of the DPCC Co-Chairs, CLR, FLR, or BLR who is indicted for a felony for which a sentence of two or more years of imprisonment may be imposed shall step aside and cease to exercise the power of their office.

As a sidelight, Trump himself at first said he wasn’t interested in serving as Speaker. His target was the presidency. Then, a day later, he made soundings that yes, he’d be available under certain circumstances, “All I can say is we will do whatever is best for the country and other Republican Party and people.” (Well, if you really mean that, then drop dead Mr. Trump.)

I Am Not a Relatively Sane Person, So Here’s My Fantastical Scenario

Happily for most, sadly for MAGA-ites who would like nothing better than to own the libs with a Trump speakership, a Speaker Trump (likely) will never occur. I write “likely” because it would require the GOP to revise their rules to allow indicted persons to serve as Speaker. One can readily imagine Trump ordering them  to immediately change Rule 26, and them obeying. The new Rule 26, applicable to Republicans, would dispense with the indictment prohibition and the “step aside” requirement thereby permitting Trump, if voted in as Speaker, the permission to take the chair and remain in it, until he’s arrested by the Sergeant-At-Arms for something unspeakable. Neat, huh? 

Buttttt…….would it matter that the Dems retained Rule 4 and maintained their rule disqualifies Trump? Nope; GOP rules apply to GOP troglodytes.  Easily daunted, Dems would grouse that their Rule 4 controls but they’d do so in such a civil tone that no one would hear it. So, should this comical scenario result in an Unspeakable Speaker of the House Trump expect more chaos, more dogs and cats raining down from the heavens, more shoes wandering the streets unaccompanied, and, in the end, a Congress that only God, with an omniscient sense of humor, could conjure.

The Audacious Patrick McHenry, Speaker Pro Tempore, and His Bold Housing Agenda

Michael Matheron2 Comments

Yesterday, quickly following the removal of Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, a stand-in Speaker, aka Speaker Pro Tempore, became necessary under House rules. According to these rules, in January, McCarthy was required to provide the House clerk a then secret list of members that temporarily serve as Speaker of the House if the office became vacant.

“Excited to be here”

So it came to pass that Patrick McHenry, McCarthy’s buddy, and a nine-term North Carolina Republican, was the first name on his list. He immediately took the gavel in hand and then the bull by the horns, boldly announcing the House in recess “subject to the call of the chair,” i.e., himself. How long a recess is unknown, although most expect the House back next week, thus giving members time to kibbitz and jockey and bloviate, and lie.

McHenry, allowing no grass to grow under his feet, then began Speaker Pro Teming, attacking pressing national concerns. After all, his ProTem powers under House rules allow him to govern issues deemed “necessary and appropriate.” After scurrying off the House floor, McHenry warmed to his powers immediately by addressing the massive housing crisis afoot in the House, where GOP members often live in the corridors and restrooms.

Phase one was decisive, summarily throwing 81-year-old Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi out of her honorific office. These few so-called “hideaway offices,” are traditional and intended to honor a few significant House members. Not a fan of tradition, according to AXIOS, McHenry’s “email asked Pelosi’s staff to ‘vacate the space tomorrow’ at which point the locks to the office will be changed.” Although Pelosi was in California at services for Diane Feinstein, 24-hour notice is apparently “necessary and appropriate,” not to put too fine a point on McHenry’s good nature. He would not be simply an empty suit, he would move ahead on vital issues, something new for his GOP majority in the 118th Congress. À la the French Revolution’s firebrand Georges Danton, McHenry is all in: “De l’audace, encore de l’audace, et toujours de l’audace.” What a checklist he must have. And lo and behold the audacious Mr. McHenry struck again, this morning, evicting 26-term, 84-year-old Maryland congressman Steny Hoyer; “No more hideaway for you!”

Many GOPers already jockey for pride of place in the reassignment of Pelosi’s and Hoyer’s offices. Moreover, expect more of the same. Mr. McHenry’s daring new House Housing Directorate is open for business. L’Audace!

Blow by Blow: The Battle to Remove Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House

Michael Matheron1 Comment

5:49 pm (EDT) Click this URL for additional updates

4:01 pm (EDT): The House is voting on the motion to vacate. Will the Democrats vote it down which will likely save McCarthy’s day job. The GOP MAGA-ites – like Gaetz, the present ringleader – will all vote to approve the resolution but Democratic votes will be enough, I believe, to defeat the measure. Whether retaining McCarthy as Speaker will be for the best, well, let’s not forget he’s no friend to Democratic values despite the deals he’ll make with Democrats to retain the speakership. It may, however, help grease the wheels for more truly bipartisan votes on issues like Ukrainian aid, social spending budgets, debt limit negotiations, etc. Never forget, Kevin McCarthy is all about Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and he’ll do almost anything to retain that title.

4:50 pm (EDT): The Speaker’s chair is vacant by a vote of 216-210, NO Democratic votes, probably meaning that no deal was offered by the Democratic leadership, or McCarthy rejected it. Boy, was I wrong! But, in my favor, I was confidently wrong.

5:10 pm (EST) Patrick McHenry (R-NC), not quite a MAGA-ite, is Speaker of the House Pro Tempore until a new Speaker is chosen. What powers he has while Pro Tem is unknown, except presiding until the new Speaker is chosen, but what is “presiding”? More on this question in a future post.

5:33 pm (EST) New York Times reporter Robert Jimison posted this:

Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, who led the effort to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker, celebrated the ousting of his Republican colleague on the steps of the Capitol moments after the vote. “It’s to the benefit of this country that we have a better speaker of the House than Kevin McCarthy,” Gaetz said. “Kevin McCarthy couldn’t keep his word.” Gaetz said that McCarthy should not run again for the speakership. He also shot down the idea he might put his own name in the hat to become the next speaker. “Absolutely not,” he said.