Here's our new Speaker of the House

[KS Toronado]

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. What I wouldn't give to see that happen!

[DFW]

3. And you will

But you will have to wait until January 3, 2025.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. That sounds great! Thanks, my dear DFW! ♥ nt

[KS Toronado]

7. Daughter and family safe?

[DFW]

8. Physically, yes, thanks

My elder granddaughter is not completely recovered from missile blasts going off near hotel. She is having trouble sleeping, as is her 9 year old half brother.

My daughter snd her two girls are driving up from Frankfurt this weekend. I’ll find out firdt hand how much of her experience dhe is carrying around with her. My daughter said she is drawing pictures about it, which is a good thing. Keeping it locked up inside is not. My father-in-law did that with Stalingrad, and it drove him mad in his last two months of life.

[DFW]

30. Yes, thanks!

Two of the children are still have trouble sleeping, but they are not clamming up about it, and expressing their fear outwardly, which is a sign that they are dealing with it, and not keeping it bottled up inside for explosion at a later time. They have strong family support, so I think they'll be OK. My daughter and her two girls are driving up from Frankfurt this weekend, so I'll get to see first hand.

[soldierant]

28. Most likely.

But strange things happen. Contrary to what I am reading (and y'all propbably are too), 217 votes might not be needed. That actual rule is "a mojority of those present and voting." Hakeem received 212 votes today. Scalise received 113 and Jordan 99. 113 + 99 is 212. If just one of those Republican had voted "Present" Hakeem would now be speaker. I agree it's unlikely, but I do believe Republicans are dumb enough that it's not impossible.

[DFW]

29. I agree that it's POSSIBLE that Jeffries could slip by

But it's still, as you noted, highly unlikely. One thing the Republicans slipped into their rules when McCarcrash got in last January, that they would DEARLY regret if Jeffries were to get in by their own bumbling, is that the one vote rule stated that a speaker's rule could be challenged by one vote from the Speaker's own party.

They did that, of course, so that no lone Democrat could constantly challenge the sitting Republican Speaker. However, IF Jeffries were to get the Speaker's gavel, by their own rule, no Republican could challenge him.

Oops.

[soldierant]

47. ***

[AdamGG]

39. The problem for 2024 isn't the House, it's the Senate

Need to GOTV for Sherrod Brown & Jon Tester.

[DFW]

46. I'm amazed that Jon Tester is even close--proof of the craziness out there in Foxville

Jon Tester has done a great job in the Senate for the people of Montana. That some nut case right winger is even a serious contender to unseat him is a poor testimony to our political (un-) awareness.

[Emile]

15. The whole country would be better off.

[Bayard]

2. 100%

[Bettie]

5. I think some of their suits

are from the discount rack at Burlington Coat Factory....looking at you, Gym Jordan.

[OMGWTF]

19. Hell, Gymbo doesn't even bother with a coat.

[True Blue American]

36. Jacketless Jordan.

[csziggy]

40. It thought it was Jack Off Jordan! nt

[True Blue American]

42. I was being polite!:)

[csziggy]

48. Jordan does not deserve politeness. nt

[True Blue American]

49. Coorect

But DU does!

[Boomerproud]

6. In a sane world...

nt

[FraDon]

9. I'm confused. Don't the united dems only need

a mere five rational Republicans to create their own majority?

[usonian]

10. Go find 5 rational republicans. I'll pay you for every one you find.

AND I’M BROKE.

[Glorfindel]

11. No reason to be confused.

Finding five rational Republicans is the modern-day equivalent to finding the philosopher's sone. Such a thing simply does not exist.

[Autumn]

25. You can find a unicorn easier than you can find any rational Republican.

[usonian]

12. I want to say one word to you. Just one word

[bdamomma]

13. We need

the grown ups to take charge. But I don't think Jeffries is interested, but I could be wrong. Jeffries is steady as she goes.

[Marcuse]

14. The 5 couldn't take the pressure/death threats.

[NoMoreRepugs]

16. True. Would not be surprised if they all live in fear for their lives.

[OnlinePoker]

17. I'm curious how Hakeem Jeffries became the heir-apparent to Nancy Pelosi

As a Canadian, I'd only heard of him in passing until the vote that put McCarthy in the Speaker's chair. What process occurs that decides who in the Democratic Party is nominated for Speaker? In Canada, any MP except party leaders or ministers can throw their hat in the ring for Speaker of the House of Commons.

[Solomon]

18. Yeah. You missed a lot, or haven't been paying attention.

[CrispyQ]

33. Why so snotty? -nt

[DCCid]

20. Same process the Republicans are currently using

In the US, the full house (435 seats) is up for election in November of every even numbered year. The new house organizes in January of every odd numbered year. A speaker is elected by the majority party using the same process the GOP is using now. If the same party controls the new house, they usually just reelect the previous speaker. I am assuming that the majority party has at least 218 seats (over 50% of 435).

I recently read that the speaker does not have to be a congressperson. I so not know for sure if the is true; although Trump recently volunteered.

[KS Toronado]

27. Welcome to DU!

[BumRushDaShow]

21. In 2018 when Democrats took the House back for the first time since 2011

this happened -

Hakeem Jeffries Wins Democratic Caucus Chair Race Against Barbara Lee


By Lindsey McPherson
Posted November 28, 2018 at 12:06pm

New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, whom several Democratic colleagues view as a potential future speaker, narrowly won an intraparty contest for House Democratic Caucus chair Wednesday against California Rep. Barbara Lee. The vote was 123-113.

Jeffries, who currently serves as one of three co-chairs of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, the caucus’s messaging arm, now ascends to the No. 5 leadership slot. The caucus chair race was the first vote House Democrats took Wednesday in their leadership elections for the 116th Congress that are expected to last late into the evening and potentially into Thursday.

The remaining votes will be held in order of seniority of the positions: speaker, majority leader, majority whip, assistant leader, caucus vice chair, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair, DPCC chair, three DPCC co-chairs, caucus representative for a member serving five or fewer terms and freshman caucus representative.

Jeffries and Lee are both members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and their contest provided a tough choice for their colleagues within that group. The CBC traditionally values seniority — that’s even how the caucus lists its members on its website — and Lee has served seven terms more than Jeffries. But several CBC members backing Jeffries said the opportunity for him to rise in leadership, potentially one day becoming the first black speaker, was among the reasons they voted for him.

(snip)

https://rollcall.com/2018/11/28/hakeem-jeffries-wins-democratic-caucus-chair-race-against-barbara-lee/

After this, Pelosi was elected Speaker, Steny Hoyer Majority Leader, Jim Clyburn Majority Whip + the various Caucus chairs.

Subsequently they went through the same process in 2020 (done "virtually" due to the pandemic) - https://www.dems.gov/newsroom/press-releases/house-democrats-successfully-conclude-first-ever-virtual-leadership-elections

And then in 2022, after losing the House, Democrats rejiggered some positions and started a transition to what we see today with Jeffries being elected the Minority Leader https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-democrats-will-elect-new-generation-leaders-wednesday-rcna58977-

[ColinC]

26. Great response, thank you!

[CrispyQ]

35. +1

We have so much competency on our side, I'm sure Lee would have been good too, but I'm glad to see the young guard taking the reins!

[True Blue American]

37. Democrats voted for him

Jeffries was in the Leadership Council

[Gore1FL]

22. I don't know if I want a Democrat running the House with a GOP majority.

They would make it fail to make the Democrat fail; it's what they do.

We'd be better to strike a deal with a Republican Speaker where the House would function from a strictly governance standpoint for the next couple of years.

[DFW]

31. That could still work. Jeffries knows the rules of the game by now, and still has Pelosi ask.

A few of the Republican congresscritters are from swing districts, and if they can bring home a little bacon for their districts during a Jeffries-led House, I think there'd be the necessary amount of aisle-crossing to get them to lend us a few votes when we need them. If they saw an uphill battle toward re-election under an extremist Republican Speaker who they fear would drag them down (and do nothing for their districts), they would prefer a rational Democratic Speaker to whom they would be only loosely politically tied, but could nevertheless say, "see? We can work with him if necessary for the good of the people of our district." All politics is still local, at the end of the day. A rational Democratic Speaker could be of vastly more help to a Republican Rep in a swing district than a Republican Speaker who probably couldn't find that rep's state on the map.

[republianmushroom]

23. Yup

[czarjak]

24. Two impeachments and no one would break rank. Hardly.

[calimary]

32. I just wrote an ask about that for the next Call to Action email

that my Indivisible group issues every weekend for the new week.

Let’s call it a coalition government with Jeffries at the helm in Congress. The Repubs have a squeaker of a majority, and they’re either too busy pie-fighting each other or tying all their shoelaces together to get any actual business done.

[Emile]

34. They are too busy blaming Democrats instead of taking personal responsibility

for their dysfunction.

[calimary]

43. Personal responsibility? What on earth is that?

These pathetic schmucks haven’t a clue. And never will.

[Emile]

45. I know, kinda funny but it wasn't that long ago they campaigned

everyday spewing that bullshit lie.

[CapnSteve]

38. Yes! Make it so!

[NowsTheTime]

41. With Jeffries, chances of government shutdown is lower...

[EnergizedLib]

44. Jefferies will be Speaker someday

Sadly, I don’t think that’ll happen until our side has the House again.