House Speaker Showdown: The Must-Know Impact on You

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The jargon used in Washington and Congress can often be difficult to understand. Therefore, it can be quite puzzling to interpret the significance of having no occupant in the office of the speaker of the House of Representatives.

Why has Nancy Pelosi, who hasn't held the position of Speaker since January, been evicted from her office in the Capitol building?

What implications does the current state of inaction in one chamber of Congress hold for Americans?

What the heck is going on in Washington?

Here is an endeavor to address these and other uncertainties regarding the turmoil, sourced from CNN's extensive analysis of the situation at Capitol Hill. For the most recent information, refer to CNN's Live Updates.

The House currently lacks a speaker, the individual mandated by the Constitution to act as its leader. Consequently, the chamber is effectively incapacitated until a new speaker is appointed.

At present, Representative Patrick McHenry serves as a temporary placeholder, known as the "speaker pro tempore." This designation allows the North Carolina Republican to maintain the functioning of the House, yet he lacks the authority to advance any legislative measures.

Will this affect me?

The length of the House's freeze and the outcome of negotiations between the next speaker and the Senate and the White House, which are controlled by the Democrats, will determine this.

For as long as the House is trying to find a new speaker, its unable to do much of anything else.

What does Congress need to do?

The immediate priorities are as follows:

1. Ensure government continuity. The current temporary funding will expire on November 17, and a potential government shutdown could have significant consequences for all Americans. The incoming speaker will need to engage in negotiations with both the Senate and the White House to reach a mutually agreeable spending plan that satisfies both House Republicans and Senate Democrats.

Take action on the Ukraine situation. The issue of providing additional aid to Ukraine to counter Russia's invasion is causing divisions. Ukraine is rapidly depleting its ammunition and there is a delay in resupply from the US and other countries. The White House is requesting $24 billion in extra funding for Ukraine, and for more information on this, refer to CNN's Tim Lister's report.

The House had already implemented a set of organizing rules in January, which limits the impact of this deadlock. Lawmakers' offices can continue operating and assisting constituents with services like passport applications. However, if a national, regional, or local emergency occurs, Congress will be unable to respond at the moment. Furthermore, the time that would have been allocated for legislation is now being consumed by this internal conflict within the Republican party.

What happened to the last House speaker?

After securing the gavel following 15 rounds of balloting in January, Rep. Kevin McCarthy's tenure as House speaker came to an end on October 3. Due to the dissenting votes of only eight Republicans, McCarthy was ousted from his position, despite holding a narrow majority.

Why such a short tenure?

To secure the speakers gavel, McCarthy struck a string of agreements with hardliners, one of which stipulated that a single member had the power to demand a vote to remove him from office whenever they wished. Recently, this responsibility fell upon Florida Representative Matt Gaetz.

What was the eight Republicans beef with McCarthy?

The majority of the eight originated from the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus. They were infuriated by McCarthy's agreement with Democrats to avoid a partial government shutdown and temporarily fund the government for 45 days. Furthermore, they were dissatisfied with the terms of a deal he made with President Joe Biden, earlier this year, to raise the nation's debt limit. This faction of the GOP holds an absolutist stance on federal spending, with some even expressing their willingness to consider a default or shutdown in order to achieve their objectives.

Many House Republicans who share some of these ideological views, however, continued to support McCarthy. Gaetz and others who voted to oust him also had more personal conflicts with McCarthy, accusing him of not keeping his word.

Why didnt any Democrats help McCarthy?

Some individuals contemplated saving the California Republican, although the party also had a mutual political incentive to witness Republicans endure distress. Despite McCarthy's friendly demeanor, he displayed strong partisanship. Although he made compromises to prevent a government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling, he recently launched a formal impeachment investigation against Biden. Additionally, he declined to bring certain bills with broad bipartisan support, such as a defense authorization bill, to the House floor without including partisan amendments. Consequently, numerous Democrats believed they did not owe him anything, regardless of the potential for a future GOP speaker who might be more conservative than McCarthy.

Its easy to marvel at how Republicans allowed this to happen and to criticize Democrats for choosing the more partisan route, but both things were a long time coming.

Has this ever happened before?

Who chooses the speaker?

: Unheard of is the removal of a speaker from their position during a congressional session. The kind of chaos within the House, where political parties failed to reach a consensus on a speaker, was predominantly observed prior to the Civil War.

A majority of members of Congress - 218 if everyone is present and voting - selects the speaker. However, lawmakers typically divide along party lines when electing their speaker. If all Democrats vote for the Democratic leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, that implies that Republicans must secure 218 votes from their conference for their nominee.

Why is this so hard for Republicans?

Their majority, obtained during the previous year's midterms, is considerably limited. A mere quartet of Republicans have the potential to deviate from party allegiance, allowing for the installment of a GOP speaker. Following McCarthy's removal from the speakership, he faced defection from only eight Republicans within his 221-member conference.

Have there been any consequences for Democrats?

McHenry expelled Pelosi and former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland from their Capitol building offices. CNN later revealed that McCarthy orchestrated this action. Sources close to Pelosi and Hoyer assert that it was in retaliation for Democrats voting against McCarthy to vacate the speakership. (Requests for comment from McCarthy and McHenry's offices went unanswered.)

Many Republicans are angry at his ouster

According to CNN's summer polling data, the majority of Americans (54%) expressed their trust in Republicans in Congress to effectively handle the pressing challenges that the country is currently confronting, as compared to Biden (45%).

However, instead of addressing those concerns, Republicans are engaged in internal disputes.

According to Jennings, "I believe that Republicans are highly critical of their own leader in the Capitol, which is truly absurd. His most recent accomplishment was maintaining bipartisan support to keep the government operational. I'm certain that the military personnel considered this to be crucial, as it ensures their continuous payment. Therefore, he acted responsibly. It is unfortunate that he is now being dismissed because of his actions."

Does Trump play a role here?

It is important to acknowledge the significance of Former President Donald Trump and his ideology, Trumpism. McCarthy managed to secure the speakership with support from Trump. However, McCarthy's hold on the position was relinquished when Trump advocated for a government shutdown, which McCarthy diligently tried to prevent. Moreover, Trump's time in New York courts further intensified the situation.

How does one get every Republican to agree on the same person?

According to CNN's Stephen Collinson, the brief tenure of McCarthy as Speaker of the House highlighted how the Republican Party, under the influence of Donald Trump, has become a major source of instability in both American society and potentially on a global scale.

McCarthy strategically appeased the right-wing faction to secure the speakership position, enduring numerous rounds of voting to attain a majority despite lacking organized opposition. However, the current scenario, with numerous Republican candidates declared and others contemplating a candidacy, presents uncertainty regarding the unification of the party under a single individual and the commitments they will be required to make.

Who are the contenders to replace McCarthy?

There are a few who are actively looking for support and some others who are doing it more quietly.

Steve Scalise, the House majority leader and former second-in-command to McCarthy, is currently running. Despite being diagnosed with multiple myeloma this year, Scalise reported in September that his cancer has significantly improved due to treatment. In 2017, he was the victim of a shooting during a Republican congressional baseball game practice, targeted by a gunman who openly expressed his disdain for conservatives.

He received criticism in 2014 for addressing a White supremacist organization in a speech from 2002. However, he subsequently expressed regret and offered an apology.

Jim Jordan, the Republican representative from Ohio, currently chairs the House Judiciary Committee and is a candidate in the upcoming elections. He is also a founding member of the Freedom Caucus, although he has developed a close alliance with McCarthy. Often seen without a jacket, he is known for his vociferous criticism of Democrats and staunch defense of Trump during both impeachment proceedings.

Kevin Hern, the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a conservative group of lawmakers, is contemplating a bid for leadership. With a substantial number of GOP members, his committee holds significant influence.

Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina, was elected to Congress at the young age of 29 and has been a supporter of McCarthy. He is currently serving as the interim speaker. A source close to McHenry informed CNN that the congressman views his current role as a caretaker, prioritizing guiding the conference through another speakers race.

Read more from CNNs Capitol Hill team.