Unlocking Progress: The Crucial Role of a Speaker in the House Business

Lawmakers and aides arrived for work on Wednesday to discover a House of Representatives that seemed frozen in time, with a colossal blue screen proclaiming them "in recess" for the majority of the day.

The House calendar persisted in displaying October 3 - Tuesday - the day when House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from his position and departed the chamber without formally adjourning.

The interim speaker successfully adjourned the chamber at 3:25 p.m. on Wednesday, but the lack of productivity throughout the day was highly significant.

According to Rep. Garret Graves, a Republican from Louisiana, the House of Representatives is practically paralyzed. He informed reporters that legislative progress has come to a halt, with even the referral of bills to committees being unattainable.

Kevin McCarthy and Nancy Mace

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House devolves into angry round of retribution following McCarthy's ouster

The House is currently grappling with its lack of an elected speaker and struggling to determine its capabilities. Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, serving as the speaker pro tempore, is able to carry out certain tasks such as recessing the House, adjourning the chamber, and acknowledging speaker nominations, as stated in the House Practices Guide. However, due to the unprecedented nature of the situation, there is still much uncertainty surrounding the limitations of this role.

Another topic of discussion is the extent to which House Republicans can pursue their impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden without the support of an elected speaker to enforce the subpoenas they wish to issue. Aides speculate that committees could technically proceed with matters of legislative significance, but there is no established precedent that applies.

In light of the chaotic state, Graves remarked that the White House might lack motivation to comply with their subpoenas.

"With the current lack of organization within the House," Graves stated, "if I were the White House, I would simply ignore it all day long and claim that they lack the authority to enforce it."

Despite facing significant obstacles, the House Oversight and Judiciary committees are determined to persist with their investigations, as stated by committee aides and a prominent member in an interview with CNN.

According to James Comer, the House Oversight chair from Kentucky, the committees will continue their efforts by analyzing emails and text messages, creating timelines, and making efforts to persuade individuals to cooperate. Comer emphasized that they will maintain their diligent work and remain focused on tracking the flow of funds.

The pressure to take further action is increasing as government funding is due to expire on November 17 and there is no agreement on spending between the parties. The lack of consensus on the fundamental rules of House operation raises concerns about avoiding a government shutdown. In the midst of this confusion, several committee meetings were canceled for the rest of the week. Some members gathered in their offices, attempting to determine the next steps, while others hastily booked flights out of town.

A controversial office shuffle also took place. The sign with McCarthy's name had not even been taken down from the speaker's office when CNN discovered that he was responsible for removing two Democrats from their preferred spaces as he was leaving.

In addition, there was internal tension within the Republican party, partially due to the timing of McCarthy's removal. Eight members of McCarthy's party initiated his ouster on a day when the House had intended to discuss government funding bills.

"At present, certain members are in favor of delaying any significant actions."

"Everything comes to a halt until we can establish the appointment of a new Speaker of the House," stated Rep. Kelly Armstrong, a North Dakota Republican serving on the House Oversight Committee, in an interview with CNN.

Meanwhile, some individuals openly confess their perplexity.

"Nobody knows whats going to happen next," House Rules Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma said.

A key looming question is how long this state of paralysis could last.

Although House Republicans plan to organize a candidate forum for prospective speakers on Tuesday, it may require some time for them to reach a consensus on a single candidate.

Both House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana have declared their candidacy for the position, but it remains uncertain as to who can secure the necessary 218 votes to become the speaker.

"Look," said Graves, "there are scenarios where this could be going on for weeks."

Manu Raju and Sam Fossum contributed to this report.