Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution creates a House of Representatives with members who serve two-year terms of office. So every two years, the House ends and must be reconstituted at the beginning of the next Congress. It’s a technicality few of us have considered in past years, but it has big implications in this moment. Now that a speaker has been chosen, it will be time, Monday morning, to adopt the rules of procedure the House will follow for the next two years.
Joyce you are a treasure... Not holding my breath either, but... we can't ignore the pressure of the reasonable people outside the House. There are a lot of us with common sense and are not ready to kneel in front of short visionned and ill hearted House Representatives.
It is distressing that poorly educated, uninformed bomb throwers want to be, and are elected to office. Their aims have nothing to do with public service or having government operate smoothly for the benefit of citizens. It is dangerous to have people in both Houses whose idea of public service is to stall whatever the Democrats want to do and push the agenda of the crackpot caucus. Where does this crowd think their ideas for governing will end? I’m not sure they’ve thought that far ahead. Heaven help us, because the Matts and Marjories are not in Washington for that purpose. They’re there to blow our House down.
I think… I’m going to have to just keep the tv news shut off, limit newspaper reading, stick to substack (yes, including Civil Discourse) and long-form print and podcast journalism to stay sane the next two years. The sheer insane turmoil of 2016-2021 national political theater is coming back, again, including to my state (LaTurner, Marshall, Moran, Kobach).
"It is only because of their stupidity they're able to be so sure of themselves." Kafka. Was Kafka prescient? Let's start election cycle recognizing we need leaders with a little humility.
Why do the Democrats.always seem to be playing defence? It's a safe bet the Russians have scoped this out and have given Donald a plan A, B, and C to pass on to Kevin.
Joyce I noticed, in the 55 page document, that there is a section that reads; "Access to the Hall of the House. Subsection (p) strikes language providing Governors of Territories and the Mayor of the District of Columbia access to the Hall of the House." Does this address the non-voting members you mentioned from entering the house floor?
If the House is going to conduct sham investigations perhaps the Senate can conduct some legitimate investigations on important topics such as campaign finance violations, fake charities, income tax evasion, other fraud. I can’t keep up with all of this. There is also the anxiety of a debt ceiling crisis and how negatively it will impact our economy, global economies are our own retirement accounts. I’m wearing all black all weekend to mourn the damage to our increasingly fragile Democracy.
It’s just not looking good for a sane House working for the people. My senator (I) AZ (damn her) better get right on what’s important and help keep the house in check. Always a pleasure to read your perspective.
Professor Vance, thank you for sharing your insights on what we are facing with this new Republican dominated House. I am furious at the laziness of the so called Moderate Republicans that they just stood back and let all this happen. Where were the moderate concerns they should have been negotiating. They are all weak and pathetic. The concept of Moderate Republican is an oxymoron, and furthermore, in German news on ZDF yesterday, it was clear that everyone in Europe is looking to see what impact this is going to have on our foreign policy first and our domestic policy secondly. It is no surprise that Sweden and Italy were emboldened to vote in Right wing parties into their government after seeing the threats our democracy is facing here in the USA. I am grateful that the far-right in France did not succeed. Clearly democratic ideas matter more than just self interested short none insightful ideas of economic well-being and cultural purity! Whiteness! Anne Gellinick, the anchor interviewed someone from the publication Foreign Affairs, and a German scholar in foreign affairs at the Brookings Institute in Washington. First the Foreign Affairs expert interviewed said that it is problematic for McCarthy to be beholden to this group. Then, the German expert said that she does not know where this will go because McCarthy does not have to follow what he has promised. However, it sounds like from what you are saying he has to set the rules when the House returns and since he is beholden to Trump he has to follow a Trump agenda. All of these extremists are beholden to Trump, so a minority group, who are after destroying our government and setting up for Trump to be emperor of the USA for life, or whatever he wants to do just so that they can stay in power as his minions with no fresh ideas of their own, as a little sickening junior high level White Supremacist fantasy. Let everyone read Professor Kathleen Belew's Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America, which writ large includes Europe too, since they all met together in the Pacific Northwest stronghold after the bombing of the Edward R. Murrow Federal building to plan moving forward. Goals to create chaos in the government whilst pretending to be less extremist--using less obvious racist rhetoric (although since they don't know other people well, and have no insight--they are pretty obvious with their racist messaging on everything), and more anti-immigration language. Caving in to this anti immigrant wave is agreeing with a White Supremacist agenda, and ignoring the facts that I read in a Foreign Policy article last week, we have a 10 million vacancy in jobs and we have only 4.6 million people who are unemployed. By their statistics we clearly need to be helping people immigrate and setting up a policy beyond personal sponsorship to do that. We need the government to be building low income housing (government subsidized), since there is not only a shortage of workers, but a huge shortage of housing, particularly low income housing. This housing should be for students, working poor, people on welfare, retired poor, and immigrants. This idea is not in line with the Republican party agenda, however, it would be good for our country.
We need to be informing ourselves on the issues and writing to all of our politicians to demand that they be implementing those ideas which can be done, and at least trying to improve our living circumstances in this country. A lot is going to need to happen on the State level with our House or Representatives so tainted by nation destroyers. What is clear from the people interviewed on German news, since this was the top news story last night, is that our foreign and domestic policy affects everyone else on this planet. What is bad for us is bad for everyone, and Donald Trump is bad news. We are going to have to be more vocal than the right wingers in these next 2 years demanding, educating, explaining and defending the good governance of our country. Thank you Professor Vance for embracing the important role you play in this.
Ai-yai-yai! Fasten your seat belts, check the chin strap on your helmet, and pack a parachute. Joyce, I do soooo appreciate your clear-eyed and easily comprehensible, for us lay folk, analysis of all this *stuff*. Understanding how it's happening and the ramifications thereof doesn't ease my anxiety, but I do feel informed and can better attempt my citizen duties. I've downloaded and have been trying to read through the Jan6 report 😵💫 but depend more on your rendering of the info. So, thank you - and see ya on tv next time you're on MSNBC 🤗
Joyce, after reading your piece, which is very helpful in understanding what will happen tomorrow, my response is a profound disappointment in the Constitution, which now seems completely ineffective in protecting us because the founding fathers never would have considered that we would elect a seditionist president and/or that one political party would support his lawlessness, and traitorous behavior.
I also feel so very angry that my worst expectation will be realized tomorrow because justice hasn't been served. Attorney General Merrick Garland was sworn in on March 11, 2021, and yet he has failed to indict any of the Congressional Republicans who allegedly participated in working to overturn the 2020 election and undoubtedly in planning the Insurrection and coup. Tomorrow, a number of those alleged seditionists within the Republican Party, will dominate the proceedings as they are rewarded for their anti-Democratic behavior and elevated to leadership positions.
I wonder how you explain this travesty to your students, because during the summer of 1973, when I was in college, I took a history class in which our primary assignment was to watch the hearings, which we discussed with our professor every day. And, it was most heartening, instructive, and uplifting, and strengthened my belief in our democracy. I worry about the impact of all this on today's crop of students who see a "broken system" led by treacherous politicians.
Finally, I would like to provide an example of the kind of judicial failure I am speaking about, and to name names. I wish to focus on a very important White House meeting that mostly has been overshadowed. More than a year ago, on December 21, 2021, 11 House members, predominately from the Freedom Caucus, attended a White House meeting with Trump, Pence, Meadows, and Giuliani to strategize about overthrowing the 2020 election. They are: Mo Brooks (AL), Brian Babin (TX), Andy Biggs (AZ), Matt Gaetz (FL), Louie Gohmert (TX), Paul Gosar (AZ), Andy Harris (MD), Jody Hice (GA), Jim Jordan (Ohio), Scott Perry (PA), and Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA).
The meeting was briefly mentioned by Rep. Murphy in the seventh Select Committee hearing. It was not given the importance it deserved, possibly because aside from Rudy Giuliani, four of the participants who attended, Jim Jordan, Andy Biggs, Mo Brooks, and Scott Perry, did not voluntarily testify nor did they honor their subpoenas. (Brooks later agreed to testify, but wanted so many stipulations that they didn't pursue him.) After the meeting, Mo Brooks, on behalf of Matt Gaetz asked Trump for a blanket pardon for himself and Gaetz as well as for everyone else who attended, and a number of people who didn't (but possibly were given assignments).
FYI...I've spent a lot of time researching this meeting, reading the hearing transcript, and finding and reading stories in local newspapers in which participating House members served, rather than in national publications, because the meeting barely was mentioned. Another interesting point is the Pat Cipollone was not invited to this meeting, and was turned away when he heard about it, and tried to participate. While I don't trust that AG Garland will pursue this, I am hoping that Special Counsel Jack Smith will.
Joyce you are a treasure... Not holding my breath either, but... we can't ignore the pressure of the reasonable people outside the House. There are a lot of us with common sense and are not ready to kneel in front of short visionned and ill hearted House Representatives.
It is distressing that poorly educated, uninformed bomb throwers want to be, and are elected to office. Their aims have nothing to do with public service or having government operate smoothly for the benefit of citizens. It is dangerous to have people in both Houses whose idea of public service is to stall whatever the Democrats want to do and push the agenda of the crackpot caucus. Where does this crowd think their ideas for governing will end? I’m not sure they’ve thought that far ahead. Heaven help us, because the Matts and Marjories are not in Washington for that purpose. They’re there to blow our House down.
I think… I’m going to have to just keep the tv news shut off, limit newspaper reading, stick to substack (yes, including Civil Discourse) and long-form print and podcast journalism to stay sane the next two years. The sheer insane turmoil of 2016-2021 national political theater is coming back, again, including to my state (LaTurner, Marshall, Moran, Kobach).
Well, I suppose it would be a euphemism to say the next two years in the House should be interesting. I just hope it’s not a total horror show.
"It is only because of their stupidity they're able to be so sure of themselves." Kafka. Was Kafka prescient? Let's start election cycle recognizing we need leaders with a little humility.
Thank you, Joyce, for your information. Bette Davis’ words come to mind: “Fasten your seat belts it’s going to be a bumpy night.”
We need to strap ourselves in for many bumpy nights for the next two years!
Stay strong.
Quibbling aside, who needs a program, a procedural guide, or a rule book when we have Joyce?
Why do the Democrats.always seem to be playing defence? It's a safe bet the Russians have scoped this out and have given Donald a plan A, B, and C to pass on to Kevin.
a friend noted that the "one vote to challenge" rule isn't limited to Republicans. Is that true? Ah, apparently not.
Can a House Rule be attacked as unconstitutional? Does a court have ANY jurisdiction over a House rule?
Joyce I noticed, in the 55 page document, that there is a section that reads; "Access to the Hall of the House. Subsection (p) strikes language providing Governors of Territories and the Mayor of the District of Columbia access to the Hall of the House." Does this address the non-voting members you mentioned from entering the house floor?
If the House is going to conduct sham investigations perhaps the Senate can conduct some legitimate investigations on important topics such as campaign finance violations, fake charities, income tax evasion, other fraud. I can’t keep up with all of this. There is also the anxiety of a debt ceiling crisis and how negatively it will impact our economy, global economies are our own retirement accounts. I’m wearing all black all weekend to mourn the damage to our increasingly fragile Democracy.
I am so damned sad.
It’s just not looking good for a sane House working for the people. My senator (I) AZ (damn her) better get right on what’s important and help keep the house in check. Always a pleasure to read your perspective.
Professor Vance, thank you for sharing your insights on what we are facing with this new Republican dominated House. I am furious at the laziness of the so called Moderate Republicans that they just stood back and let all this happen. Where were the moderate concerns they should have been negotiating. They are all weak and pathetic. The concept of Moderate Republican is an oxymoron, and furthermore, in German news on ZDF yesterday, it was clear that everyone in Europe is looking to see what impact this is going to have on our foreign policy first and our domestic policy secondly. It is no surprise that Sweden and Italy were emboldened to vote in Right wing parties into their government after seeing the threats our democracy is facing here in the USA. I am grateful that the far-right in France did not succeed. Clearly democratic ideas matter more than just self interested short none insightful ideas of economic well-being and cultural purity! Whiteness! Anne Gellinick, the anchor interviewed someone from the publication Foreign Affairs, and a German scholar in foreign affairs at the Brookings Institute in Washington. First the Foreign Affairs expert interviewed said that it is problematic for McCarthy to be beholden to this group. Then, the German expert said that she does not know where this will go because McCarthy does not have to follow what he has promised. However, it sounds like from what you are saying he has to set the rules when the House returns and since he is beholden to Trump he has to follow a Trump agenda. All of these extremists are beholden to Trump, so a minority group, who are after destroying our government and setting up for Trump to be emperor of the USA for life, or whatever he wants to do just so that they can stay in power as his minions with no fresh ideas of their own, as a little sickening junior high level White Supremacist fantasy. Let everyone read Professor Kathleen Belew's Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America, which writ large includes Europe too, since they all met together in the Pacific Northwest stronghold after the bombing of the Edward R. Murrow Federal building to plan moving forward. Goals to create chaos in the government whilst pretending to be less extremist--using less obvious racist rhetoric (although since they don't know other people well, and have no insight--they are pretty obvious with their racist messaging on everything), and more anti-immigration language. Caving in to this anti immigrant wave is agreeing with a White Supremacist agenda, and ignoring the facts that I read in a Foreign Policy article last week, we have a 10 million vacancy in jobs and we have only 4.6 million people who are unemployed. By their statistics we clearly need to be helping people immigrate and setting up a policy beyond personal sponsorship to do that. We need the government to be building low income housing (government subsidized), since there is not only a shortage of workers, but a huge shortage of housing, particularly low income housing. This housing should be for students, working poor, people on welfare, retired poor, and immigrants. This idea is not in line with the Republican party agenda, however, it would be good for our country.
We need to be informing ourselves on the issues and writing to all of our politicians to demand that they be implementing those ideas which can be done, and at least trying to improve our living circumstances in this country. A lot is going to need to happen on the State level with our House or Representatives so tainted by nation destroyers. What is clear from the people interviewed on German news, since this was the top news story last night, is that our foreign and domestic policy affects everyone else on this planet. What is bad for us is bad for everyone, and Donald Trump is bad news. We are going to have to be more vocal than the right wingers in these next 2 years demanding, educating, explaining and defending the good governance of our country. Thank you Professor Vance for embracing the important role you play in this.
Ai-yai-yai! Fasten your seat belts, check the chin strap on your helmet, and pack a parachute. Joyce, I do soooo appreciate your clear-eyed and easily comprehensible, for us lay folk, analysis of all this *stuff*. Understanding how it's happening and the ramifications thereof doesn't ease my anxiety, but I do feel informed and can better attempt my citizen duties. I've downloaded and have been trying to read through the Jan6 report 😵💫 but depend more on your rendering of the info. So, thank you - and see ya on tv next time you're on MSNBC 🤗
Joyce, after reading your piece, which is very helpful in understanding what will happen tomorrow, my response is a profound disappointment in the Constitution, which now seems completely ineffective in protecting us because the founding fathers never would have considered that we would elect a seditionist president and/or that one political party would support his lawlessness, and traitorous behavior.
I also feel so very angry that my worst expectation will be realized tomorrow because justice hasn't been served. Attorney General Merrick Garland was sworn in on March 11, 2021, and yet he has failed to indict any of the Congressional Republicans who allegedly participated in working to overturn the 2020 election and undoubtedly in planning the Insurrection and coup. Tomorrow, a number of those alleged seditionists within the Republican Party, will dominate the proceedings as they are rewarded for their anti-Democratic behavior and elevated to leadership positions.
I wonder how you explain this travesty to your students, because during the summer of 1973, when I was in college, I took a history class in which our primary assignment was to watch the hearings, which we discussed with our professor every day. And, it was most heartening, instructive, and uplifting, and strengthened my belief in our democracy. I worry about the impact of all this on today's crop of students who see a "broken system" led by treacherous politicians.
Finally, I would like to provide an example of the kind of judicial failure I am speaking about, and to name names. I wish to focus on a very important White House meeting that mostly has been overshadowed. More than a year ago, on December 21, 2021, 11 House members, predominately from the Freedom Caucus, attended a White House meeting with Trump, Pence, Meadows, and Giuliani to strategize about overthrowing the 2020 election. They are: Mo Brooks (AL), Brian Babin (TX), Andy Biggs (AZ), Matt Gaetz (FL), Louie Gohmert (TX), Paul Gosar (AZ), Andy Harris (MD), Jody Hice (GA), Jim Jordan (Ohio), Scott Perry (PA), and Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA).
The meeting was briefly mentioned by Rep. Murphy in the seventh Select Committee hearing. It was not given the importance it deserved, possibly because aside from Rudy Giuliani, four of the participants who attended, Jim Jordan, Andy Biggs, Mo Brooks, and Scott Perry, did not voluntarily testify nor did they honor their subpoenas. (Brooks later agreed to testify, but wanted so many stipulations that they didn't pursue him.) After the meeting, Mo Brooks, on behalf of Matt Gaetz asked Trump for a blanket pardon for himself and Gaetz as well as for everyone else who attended, and a number of people who didn't (but possibly were given assignments).
FYI...I've spent a lot of time researching this meeting, reading the hearing transcript, and finding and reading stories in local newspapers in which participating House members served, rather than in national publications, because the meeting barely was mentioned. Another interesting point is the Pat Cipollone was not invited to this meeting, and was turned away when he heard about it, and tried to participate. While I don't trust that AG Garland will pursue this, I am hoping that Special Counsel Jack Smith will.
One story about the meeting is entitled: 11 House Republicans attended a White House meeting with Trump to strategize about overturning the election results on January 6. Six of them later asked for pardons. The link is: https://www.businessinsider.com/house-republicans-white-house-meeting-december-21-2020-election-2022-7 While Insider isn't the best source, it's usually fairly accurate.