Discussion: House 'Freedom Caucus' Leader: We Intend To Vote In Bloc For Speaker

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Discussion for article #241506

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Hmmmm…methinks their group-think mob mentality is not “news” per se…

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If the “Freedom” caucus sticks to it’s guns the House won’t be getting a new Speaker anytime soon. The wingnut caucus even sabotages the republican party establishment.

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I wonder if this is where the former “earmarks” would have come in handy. I mean,it might be good in times like this if an enticement can be offered for support. But, that’s gone and McC. is all on his own.

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Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House!

It could happen if the Democrats vote as a bloc and the Freedom Caucus really is that dumb.

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could it be possible to just shut down the House? - kind of like sealing off the leaking section of a submarine?

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I was just thinking the same thing. If the Freedumb Caucus is really as dumb as they seem, they could all vote for Chaffetz or Gohmer or whomever and it would come down to a difference of 20 votes between a Speaker McCarthy and a Speaker Pelosi. I know it’s not really possible, but stranger things have happened, and would it really be so strange to discover Republicans really can’t count?

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I don’t think that’s possible. Any speaker needs to get 218 votes, and that can’t happen without some Republican support, none of which would be forthcoming for Pelosi.

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The whole caucus gets one vote? OK cool.

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Only way that happens is if enough Republicans abstain from voting. The Speaker needs to get an absolute majority of all votes cast. If a nominee (like Pelosi) receives a plurality, but not an absolute majority, the vote is repeated until one candidate gets an absolute majority. About 60 Republicans would need to abstain from voting in order to give Pelosi an absolute majority.

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The President has the Constitutional power to suspend Congress and call it back at his pleasure. However i don’t think President has ever done such a thing.

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Nope. It’s typical (and stupid) American First-Past-The-Post voting. That is, the Speaker is the candidate with the majority of ballots cast. Voting “Present” doesn’t count.

If Freedumbers vote for Gohmert or Chaffetz and the Dems vote for Pelosi the roll gets called again. And again. And again. Do some R’s come to their senses and form a coalition caucus with the D’s? Then the Freedumbers announce they’ll cut off their nose to spite their face, and now it’s possible.

Another thing that could get interesting would be if Nancy decided she didn’t want the office without a working coalition. Then the Dems vote “Present” and McCarthy wins on Republican votes. But what if Nancy cuts a deal with McCarthy? We’ll get you past 218 but you need to do W, X, Y and Z.

What a buncha maroons.

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Lincoln didn’t suspend Congress in the midst of the Civil War. Granted that this is as dysfunctional as dysfunctional can be … but we need a budget (really guys – a f***ing budget, not a continuing resolution). We need the debt ceiling addressed. Preferably by repeal of a truly stupid law, but raise the damned thing if you have to do that instead.

I don’t believe those things can happen if Congress is suspended.

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Kiss the whip hand, Kevin.

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Agreed, though it does give me a good laugh to imagine it happening. Hoyer did come out yesterday and say that all Dems are voting for Pelosi,and McCarthy is on his own to get his votes.

A much more likely scenario is they spend rest of the month refusing to budge and we enter November with no Speaker, which I would assume that either Boehner stays on until a vote is finally realized, or he appoints someone Speaker pro tempore. Or does that require a vote too?

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If the Freedumb Caucus withholds their support McCarthy will need gasp Democratic votes to get to 218. Then he’ll have Democrat cooties.

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I have a sneaky suspicion that if they try and screw around with the debt limit, Obama will do as Bill Clinton advocated, and take it to the Courts. I think, now that he has no more elections, would just as soon get this thing off the table so future Presidents don’t have to face this problem.

Personally, I think the case is pretty solid that the debt limit IS unconstitutional. The 14th Amendment clearly indicates that defaulting on our public debt is unconstitutional, in about the strongest language possible. Nor is it an infringement upon Congress’s power of the purse. That power resides entirely with appropriations bills, NOT in refusing to raise a debt ceiling.

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“Freedom Caucus” = “Brown Shirts”
Of course they “Vote as One”. They have no thoughts other than what they are told to do by their “Masters”.
“Vhy, I vas only followink ORDERS mein herr!”
This sounds more and more like what went on in the 1932 Bundestag with the Brown Shirts voting as a block against EVERYTHING to create more crisis and get more of “Their Kind” elected in the upcoming elections due to the chaos caused by the paralyzed government.
I half expect the “Freedom Caucus” to rise from their Congressional seats as one and begin loudly singing “Uber Alles”.
Quote: “Those who refuse to learn from History are doomed to repeat it.”

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First, is this vote the House wide vote or only the vote by the republicans choosing their candidate to stand in the election voted on by the whole House.

Second, the Congressional Research Service says it requires and absolute majority of voting members. Do you have a citation for your" first-past-the-post" contention.

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‘The Freedom Caucus’! That name just cracks me up every time!

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