WASHINGTON – Three days and 11 votes after the ordeal began, the U.S. House failed again to find a speaker. An intransigent bloc of 20 GOP ultra-right wingers refused to give former House minority leader Kevin McCarthy the 218 votes he needed for the speakership. In the Minnesota and Wisconsin delegations, Brad Finstad and Derrick Van Orden continued to support McCarthy, their fellow Trump acolyte. Meanwhile, Minnesotan Tom Emmer, the GOP House whip, continued unsuccessfully help broker a deal between McCarthy and the dissident Republican bloc.
House dead in water
The 118th Congress is nonfunctional until the House stalemate over electing a speaker is resolved. The members are all in Washington, but they cannot do any business until a House speaker is selected. No legislation can be put on the table. There is no discussion on policy issues. In fact, the members aren’t even sworn in yet, which is an act performed by the speaker. Proceedings are limited to the speakership election, over which the House clerk presides. Although cynics metaphorically talk about Washington “being broken.” such literally has been the case since Tuesday when the 118th was supposed to get down to business. Never in 164 years, going back to 36th Congress in 1859, has it taken so long to select a speaker. Usually it’s a routine, quick, easy matter the first day.