House Republicans who blocked Kevin McCarthy's ascension to the speakership repeated a mantra during the four-day leadership fight that ended after several rounds of dealmaking: Congress is 'broken,' they said.
UNITED STATES - JANUARY 7: Incoming Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., right, greets Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., after McCarthy won the speakership on the 15th ballot on Saturday, January 7, 2023. House Republicans who blocked Kevin McCarthy’s ascension to the speakership repeated a mantra during the four-day leadership fight that ended after several rounds of dealmaking: Congress is “broken,” they said.
Members of both parties even have some of the same ideas about how to do this — and finding consensus took years and happened away from the spotlight. Timmons and Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., who chaired the committee, spoke to Yahoo News in a joint interview. The committee was created to last for two years, and was renewed for another two years, but is now defunct, with Republicans in control of the House.
This group found that the causes of congressional dysfunction fell into several distinct spheres. Noncompetitive salaries for staff encouraged the most able individuals to leave for other sectors, including lobbyist shops. Countless logistical, data-sharing and technological improvements were needed.
The class of 1974 came in to reform Congress and targeted “what was perceived as too much power that was vested in committee chairs,” Kilmer said. “So they proposed some changes with the expectation that it was going to lead to more power for rank-and-file members. That's not actually what came to pass. You started to see more power that rested in the speaker's office. That was put on steroids under Speaker [Newt] Gingrich.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Democrats and Republicans are playing games': Calls for composure after speaker election chaosThe last time a House speaker didn’t win election on the first ballot was in 1923 — until this year, when it took five days and 15 votes for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to win the role.
Read more »
Texas Republicans, Democrats commit to making schools saferSchool safety is one of Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan's priorities this session.
Read more »
Republicans push idea that Democrats are conspiring against Biden'They don't want this man to run for president again,' said GOP Representative Ronny Jackson. 'He's a recipe for disaster in the next presidential election.'
Read more »
More Americans identify as Republicans than DemocratsFor the first time in decades, more people identify as Republicans than Democrats, a striking change that bolsters polls showing that the United States is a moderate-conservative nation.
Read more »
Debt ceiling vote could save America if House Republicans are willing to stand up to DemocratsDebt ceiling vote could save America if House Republicans will stand up to Democrats, especially after US government took in nearly $5 trillion in 2022.
Read more »
Republicans in Congress want to gut the Ethics Commission and protect tax cheats | PennLive lettersInvestigation of a law enforcement agency currently investigating you sounds like a heavy-handed attempt at intimidation.
Read more »