The Republican-led US House of Representatives on Monday adopted a package of internal rules that give rightwing hardliners more leverage over the chamber’s newly elected Republican speaker, Kevin McCarthy.
Lawmakers voted 220-213 for the legislation, with only one Republican voting against. All 212 Democrats voted against the rules package, saying it was full of concessions to the right wing of the Republican party.
The rules package, which will govern House operations over the next two years, represented an early test of McCarthy’s ability to keep his caucus together, after he suffered the humiliation of 14 failed ballots last week at the hands of 20 hardliners before finally being elected speaker on Saturday.
The legislation includes key concessions that hardliners sought and McCarthy agreed to in his quest for the speaker’s gavel. The changes include allowing a single lawmaker to call for his removal at any time. Other changes would place new restrictions on federal spending, potentially limiting McCarthy’s ability to negotiate government funding packages with President Joe Biden, whose fellow Democrats control the Senate.
As the majority of the elected representatives voted for it, that’s democratic, right?
“The changes include allowing a single lawmaker to call for his removal at any time.”
A return to the status quo ante Pelosi. Such a grave and imminent threat to our democracy.
It also includes reinstating a provision to allow lawmakers to propose amendments to appropriations bills, adds a 72-hour window for members to read bills before they vote, and a commitment to vote on legislation on term limits for members of Congress
Bloody fascists.
Well we don’t actually have democracy which is self-government under Common Law, shared values, morals, customs manners within a society of other self-governing people according to and within the same parameters, with no power above – thus each individual has as much power as the next and there is no concentration of power in the hands of one or a group (ie Government) – thus the kratos (power) is shared equally throughout the demos (people) = democracy.
And yes there has to be an arbiter/referee and enforcer to ensure the rules are administered justly and upheld but that is not ‘Government’.
Anyway. “ The changes include allowing a single lawmaker to call for his removal at any time.”
The current faux-democracy avoids being entirely a sham if the governed can get rid of the governors at will.
‘adds a 72-hour window for members to read bills before they vote’
Ok, they probably won’t read them anyway. But they should at least have the opportunity.
It seems the be generally accepted that these massive spending bills are drafted by partisan lawyers on behalf of lobbyists. Does the change in control of the house mean that an entirely new team of Republican lawyers, if such a thing exists, will be taking over? Maybe next time it could include few billion to help defend the border (that’s the US border BTW, not the Ukrainian one or any of the others funded by congress’s largesse) although thanks to McConnells final two-fingered salute “next time” won’t be for another 11 months or so.
“ saying it was full of concessions to the right wing of the Republican party.”
And? So what? I thought the Dems were all for democracy. Clearly actually reading the final version of bills they ram through isn’t part of that democracy.
At least the US is moving from having a uniparty in power to having actual debates on these issues.
They don’t use words like “democracy” to communicate. They use them to manipulate.
Elections have consequences right?
The quoted piece does not, at any point, state that this is undemocratic.