House Republican Conference Faces Constitutional Crisis Amid Speaker Struggle

In a recent episode of “The Takeout” on CBS News, Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York, raised concerns about the disarray within the House Republican conference, characterizing it as a “constitutional crisis” leading to a state of paralysis and uncertainty in the House of Representatives.

Lawler expressed his views on the situation, stating, “We’re paralyzed. A constitutional crisis. What is happening in Israel, obviously, Congress is going to need to act. Which we cannot do without a speaker. We need to elect a speaker, and right now, nobody has a path to 217.” The number 217 represents the votes required for a candidate to become the speaker of the House when the full House votes.

Republicans had nominated House Majority Leader Steve Scalise from Louisiana to be the speaker in a closed-door meeting. However, Scalise has yet to schedule a House vote for speaker because he currently lacks the necessary support to secure the position. During an encounter with Scalise, Lawler communicated his opposition to his elevation to the speakership, emphasizing the need for a clear plan on how to govern effectively moving forward.

In Lawler’s perspective, this involves breaking the influence of hard-right Republicans who played a role in the removal of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and have opposed spending bills crucial for keeping the government operational. Lawler remarked, “The majority of the majority doesn’t rule anymore.” He expressed frustration with a group of about 20 individuals who he believes tried to exert control by holding the House hostage, leading to the removal of McCarthy.

The situation reached its breaking point when McCarthy was removed as speaker through a motion to vacate initiated by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, supported by seven other Republicans and all House Democrats. Lawler described his disappointment with this development, stating, “It never should have happened. It was eight Republicans teaming up with 208 Democrats. They removed a duly elected Republican speaker. Now we have a crisis.”

Lawler did not anticipate the election of a new speaker to occur within the week, and he expressed his concern about Gaetz’s actions, which he believed had damaged the Republican party and undermined the House’s institutional power.

Lawler also left room for the possibility of McCarthy’s return as House speaker, describing it as a reasonable possibility. He praised McCarthy’s capabilities and contributions to the party but noted that McCarthy had taken a step back for the time being.

The ongoing struggle for the speakership within the House Republican conference left Lawler bewildered, describing it as “the craziest thing” he had ever witnessed in politics.

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