Wyoming Rep. Landon Brown Calls Out Rep. Kevin McCarthy
In a string of Tweets beginning on January 3, Wyoming House Representative Landon Brown shared his perspective on the Speaker of the House debacle ongoing in the House of Representatives. The tweets started after the failed bid by Rep. Kevin McCarthy to secure the vote for House Speaker on January 3.
In the string of tweets (seen below), Rep. Brown addresses the failures of the GOP to vote in a House Speaker and, at one point, requests that McCarthy step aside so the party can find a candidate to "rally behind." Brown adds that "hubris isn't a good look" for McCarthy.
The commentary by Brown emphasizes a push for a vote behind a viable candidate with a consensus vote so the House can "start governing."
When asked by KGAB staff to elaborate on his comments, Rep. Brown stated,
"I just wish we wouldn't concede demands to only gain the votes of our Republican colleagues in the House, but I would rather see a Speaker of the House elected that has the support of multiple parties and from across the political spectrum. It's clear Rep. McCarthy is willing to sell nearly anything to retain power, and that is not healthy for Democracy."
The statement directly calls out Rep. McCarthy's continual efforts to obtain votes throughout 13 rounds of voting. The continued failure by McCarthy to get a majority stems from the slim margin with which Republicans hold the House.
Republicans hold the House with 222 seats compared to Democrats at 212. McCarthy needed 218 votes to obtain a majority, meaning he could only give up four votes at most to secure the House Speaker election. To date, McCarthy continues to teeter at around 200 votes each round of voting.
Can the House of Representatives Function Without a Speaker? What the Situation in Washington Means for Government:
According to Forbes, this is the first time in 163 years that the House Speaker race has ever passed nine rounds. As of writing this article, the House of Representatives has not secured a speaker in the 13th round of votes. Until a Speaker presides over the House, the governing body remains defunct, unable to swear in new members or pass laws until the Speaker of the House is in place. The New York Times described the House as "useless" at this time.
The need for a Speaker of the House is pressing, and the continued failure by the majority GOP to elect a House Speaker has created an unprecedented legacy for McCarthy, whose name now holds a record for the most votes lost for election to Speaker of the House. Rep. Brown also addressed this record, saying on Twitter, "Anyone else tired of being part of the "historic" trend that's been happening for the past 3 years?"