“…there’s no denying that Mrs. Pelosi has been an effective House leader, the most powerful Speaker in decades. Were Republicans paying attention? In last week’s elections, the GOP regained the House, but its new majority will be as small as Mrs. Pelosi’s current one. The narrow margin next year calls for a strong Speaker and Republican unity. If the GOP wants to convince the electorate to give it a real mandate in 2024, it needs to show it can govern.
Instead the old circular firing squad may be forming. This week Kevin McCarthy won a party vote to be nominated as Speaker, 188-31, but he needs 218 votes in January. Republicans also agreed to dilute the Speaker’s control over the Steering Committee that decides which lawmakers get assigned to which committees and who gets to be a chairman. This might be a necessary concession at the moment, but if a weak Speaker lacks the tools to pass needed bills, the result will be chaos and angry voters.
Speaker John Boehner resigned in 2015 amid a fight over whether Republicans should try to defund Planned Parenthood by passing a continuing resolution that would have died in the Senate or on President Obama’s desk. The GOP then held 247 seats. Mr. McCarthy’s majority will be 222 at most. That number was enough for Mrs. Pelosi to avoid pointless brinkmanship over the past two years and pass an ambitious agenda for Mr. Biden. Mr. McCarthy and Republicans could learn from the example.”
www.wsj.com
Odds are on the old circular firing squad.
Instead the old circular firing squad may be forming. This week Kevin McCarthy won a party vote to be nominated as Speaker, 188-31, but he needs 218 votes in January. Republicans also agreed to dilute the Speaker’s control over the Steering Committee that decides which lawmakers get assigned to which committees and who gets to be a chairman. This might be a necessary concession at the moment, but if a weak Speaker lacks the tools to pass needed bills, the result will be chaos and angry voters.
Speaker John Boehner resigned in 2015 amid a fight over whether Republicans should try to defund Planned Parenthood by passing a continuing resolution that would have died in the Senate or on President Obama’s desk. The GOP then held 247 seats. Mr. McCarthy’s majority will be 222 at most. That number was enough for Mrs. Pelosi to avoid pointless brinkmanship over the past two years and pass an ambitious agenda for Mr. Biden. Mr. McCarthy and Republicans could learn from the example.”
Opinion | Nancy Pelosi’s Lesson in Power for House Republicans
GOP leader Kevin McCarthy will need to enforce the unity she managed with Democrats.
www.wsj.com
Odds are on the old circular firing squad.
