This Saturday morning, the Republican Party finally managed to settle their differences to elect Kevin McCarthy as the new speaker of the US House of Representatives..
But the process, which took almost five days and required 15 separate votes —a historic figure not recorded since the end of the civil war— left exposed, and raw, the delicate moment that the elephant party is going through. And more than one concerned about the governance crisis that is coming now that a new legislature is installed in which the far-right factions that temporarily boycotted McCarthy’s rise will have enormous power.
The drama broke out on Tuesday, when the legislators returned to Washington to install the new Congress that emerged in the elections on November 6, when the Republicans managed to regain control of the Lower House after four years in opposition.
It was supposed, or at least it had happened that way for at least a century, that it would be a mere formality in which the party would designate a pre-arranged leader (McCarthy) so that he would start the legislative sessions. But along the way was a group of about 20 lawmakers, mostly rabid Trumpists — and election deniers — led by Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Matt Gaetz of Florida.
The group of ‘rebels’, who were later baptized by the Republicans themselves as “political terrorists” and “Taliban”, demanded not only profound changes in the rules of the Lower House, but also greater representation in committees that are key to approval. of budgets and financial measures, among other things.
(You may be interested in: USA: Trump’s call to Republicans to end the crisis and support McCarthy)
maybe the most extreme of all was the possibility that from now on a single legislator could call an impeachment vote against the speaker if you disagree with their decisions. Something unprecedented and that, according to all the experts, would leave McCarthy handcuffed before the extreme factions and with little room to advance in legislation.
As the hours passed, the dispute turned into a whole circus, which at times turned violent. On Friday night, in fact, two Republican legislators were about to come to blows in front of television cameras while others verbally rebuked each other.
And it was useless, at least at first, the intervention of former President Donald Trump – his supposed boss – who during various moments of the week personally called on legislators to support McCarthy.
(You can read: USA: the intense internal battle of Republicans for leadership of the Lower House)
“Don’t turn a great win into an embarrassing loss. McCarthy will do a great job. Vote for Kevin, close this business and claim victory,” the former president wrote on social media.
A transparent and open debate is what separates us from authoritarian regimes
In the end, and after 14 humiliating defeats, the legislator managed to convince a minimal majority to be elected. Although 218 votes were needed (half plus one among the 435 members of the lower house), he was able to win the seat when a couple declared themselves absent to lower the threshold.
Of course, when it came to claiming victory, both McCarthy and his rivals defended the process. “This was great and now we know how to govern. We know it was noisy, but a transparent and open debate is what separates us from authoritarian regimes,” said the congressman minutes after taking office.
And most likely that will be the tone now, as the Republicans will try to turn the page on the horrible episode by firing batteries against the Democrats, their true rivals.
Nothing hides, however, the obvious fracture that the week left them. First of all, because McCarthy, says the political analyst Julián Zelitzer, gave his “soul to the devil” to reach that majority. “The concessions he had to make to win the presidency will make his job almost impossible. What we saw this week will be the bread of every week for the next two years,” says Zelitzer.
The mere fact that a single legislator can call a vote for removal reduces his governability to almost zero, forcing him to compromise with right-wing factions down to the smallest decisions.
At the same time, and given that the majority of Republicans in the House is only four votes (they have 222 seats), they cannot afford to advance bills without the support of the “20 rebels” who, despite of supporting him at the last minute, they made it clear that they will oppose him at all times if he does not meet their expectations.
(Also: The political tension that is coming in the US with the possession of the new Congress)
McCarthy caved in to the demands of a GOP fringe element for the job
The concessions, moreover, were of all kinds. McCarthy, for example, promised to give them many seats on the Rules Committee, which is key as it sets the rules that will govern plenary debates, and to link any increase in the US debt ceiling to budget spending cuts. Which would put the US on the verge of default or default with dire consequences for the US economy.
“McCarthy caved in to the demands of a GOP fringe element for the job, making it that much more likely that the House controlled by these Trumpist Republicans will cause a government shutdown or default with devastating consequences for our country,” he said. Charles Schumer, the Democratic Majority Leader in the Senate.
Although what happened in the week was surprising, it was something that was coming and started several years ago. in good part, the radicalization of the Republican Party accelerated with the arrival of Trump to the presidency and his promotion of a more extreme agenda. But above all, as a result of his unsubstantiated claims of fraud in the 2020 elections, which culminated in the violent takeover of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the second anniversary of which, ironically, was commemorated on Friday, when Republicans were fighting each.
Trump’s insistence on lying, and the great support that the former president still has among the base, gave space for the rise of many of the far-right politicians who today have the same party in check and who no longer even respond to their ‘Leader’.
To give context to the radicalization of these last two years, it is enough to look at the case of Marjorie Taylor Greene, a congresswoman who came to the House in the last electoral cycle. Initially, Ella Greene was considered so extreme (she walks around the capitol armed, she defends political violence and believes that traitors should be “executed”, among other positions) that even her own party gave her the back. But in this week’s debate she ended up being one of the most ‘moderate’ compared to the 20 ‘rebels’.
(Keep reading: Jean Elizabeth Manes: the woman the US nominated as ambassador to Colombia)
The concessions he had to make to achieve the presidency will make his job almost impossible.
All this has put the party at a crossroads. Despite having enormous advantages due to the delicate economic context and the low popularity of President Joe Biden, in the last elections the Republicans ended up losing the Senate and only scratching control of the House, when a victory by more than 60 votes was expected. .
In large part, according to analysts, because the bulk of the electorate does not agree with the direction that the party has taken. In fact, since Trump’s victory in 2016, the Republicans have been losing almost every subsequent election (except for the House in 2022 by a handful of seats).
The fear now that the extreme factions have consolidated their power is that the party will veer further to the right., hurting his chances of retaking the White House and Congress in 2024 and beyond. A true battle for the heart of the party that, as evidenced this week, can be seen live and direct from now on.
SERGIO GOMEZ MASERI
EL TIEMPO correspondent
Washington
On Twitter @sergom68
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