There’s still a pragmatic, bipartisan solution for Speaker
To temporarily resolve the impasse within the Republican conference, and to allow the people’s business to continue during a time of domestic and international turmoil, Republican members of Congress should adopt a version of the plan proposed by Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler, to make North Carolina congressman Patrick McHenry the official Speaker of the House.
After Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., dropped out of the Speaker race and Rep. Jim Jordan’s, R-Ohio, far-right candidacy has floundered, there is no better choice on the table than to give Mr. McHenry the power to move legislation through the chamber. Mr. McHenry currently serves as Speaker pro tempore, an unusual position which gives him the authority to oversee the election of a permanent Speaker, but not other business.
That other business includes the looming Nov. 17 expiration of a temporary deal to fund the federal government and the appropriation of funds to support Israeli and Ukrainian armed forces, as well as domestic border security. There is never a good time for Congress to be crippled, but this is a particularly bad time.
Mr. Kelly’s proposal would give Mr. McHenry the gavel with an expiration date no later than the Nov. 17 government shutdown deadline. Another proposal, this one a bipartisan plan from Rep. David Joyce, ROhio, would allow Mr. McHenry to run the chamber through early January. Given the high stakes and fast pace of current events, a longer “temporary” speakership makes more sense — and might give Mr. McHenry time to earn the gavel permanently.
For a few hours Thursday, the plan seemed poised to come to the floor, with Mr. Jordan endorsing it while vowing to seek the speakership once again in several weeks. But right
-wing backlash within the GOP conference scuttled it.
The whiplash accentuates the general dysfunction in Washington, and the particular dysfunction of the Republican Party. To save Republicans from themselves, Democrats will naturally demand concessions, at least on spending and perhaps far more. Accepting such a deal will imperil Republicans who fear right-wing primary challenges (just as local Democrats fear left-wing challenges).
But if you aren’t willing to risk your political future of the good of the country, you shouldn’t be in office to begin with. And given the alternative of childish chaos, voters — even committed Republican primary voters — just might reward mature, pragmatic, bipartisan leadership.
The Kelly-Joyce plan may have been set aside for now, but pragmatic legislators of both parties should keep the backchannels buzzing. It’s likely there will be another chance to craft such a compromise in the coming days.
Mr. Kelly, for his part, should be commended for taking the lead to find a workable solution. Hopefully enough of his colleagues will show similar maturity and allow Congress to get back to business.