The Democratic Party is expressing increasing unease over the possibility of the House of Representatives being without a Speaker when the time comes to certify the 2024 election results.
This apprehension stems from the internal discord within the Republican Party, which could potentially result in a delay in the selection of a clear leader for the House.
According to Newsweek, a senior Democratic committee aide, who chose to remain anonymous, shared these concerns with Politico. The aide highlighted the Republican Party's previous struggle in 2023 to select a leader. It took 15 votes before former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was chosen.
The certification of the 2024 presidential election results is scheduled for a joint session of Congress on January 6, 2025. The new House session is set to begin on January 3. If the House fails to elect a leader within three days, it will be unable to establish governing rules. The House would then be obligated to continue voting for a Speaker until a leader is chosen.
The Democratic aide expressed their worries to Politico, stating, "As a result of the protracted Republican infighting of 2023we are concerned about the possibility that a similarly messy Speaker fight could slip past Jan. 6 and prevent the House from convening the joint session." The aide further added, "Staff are looking into that scenario as it's unclear how Congress would be able to comply with the Constitution's demand for a joint session when the House, effectively, doesn't exist."
Currently, the Republicans hold a three-seat majority in the House. However, the Democrats have a potential opportunity to flip the lower chamber of Congress this fall. Election models suggest a 56 percent chance of Democrats gaining a slim lead in the House, compared to a 44 percent chance for the Republicans.
YouGov's final election model, released last Friday, predicts a 58 percent chance of Democrats securing a slim lead in the House, with Republicans trailing at 42 percent. If the Democrats manage to take control of the chamber, it is likely that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries would be elected as Speaker without significant delay or party infighting.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was elected to his seat after four voting sessions spanning over three weeks last October, has faced resistance from members of his caucus despite having the full backing of former President Donald Trump. In a surprising turn of events, the House rejected a motion to oust Johnson from the speaker chair less than seven months after his election. This motion was proposed by Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a close Republican ally of Trump, who sought to remove Johnson following the House's approval of a Ukraine funding package.
The potential for a leadership vacuum in the House during a critical period of presidential certification underscores the need for unity and decisive action within the Republican Party. The party's ability to swiftly and effectively select a leader will be crucial in ensuring the smooth functioning of the House and the timely certification of the 2024 election results.
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