When Republicans gained control of the House in November 2022, many in Washington wondered how they would be able to govern effectively with one of the slimmest majorities in history. Some Democrats even speculated if they might be able to take back the House before the term ended.
Sixteen months later, as the Republican majority has shrunk even further, House Speaker Mike Johnson is admitting that possibility. He told Fox News on Monday that there is a slim chance he could lose the speakership to Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries in the next few weeks amid a wave of early retirements. "That’s a risk,” Johnson said of Democrats taking control of the House.
Already three Republican lawmakers have resigned from their posts mid-term—Reps. Kevin McCarthy, Bill Johnson, and Ken Buck. A fourth Republican, Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, is expected to step down in mid-April, bringing the party’s former nine-seat majority down to just 217-213 as Republicans lost a fifth seat after George Santos was expelled from the House.
I feel like 4 more retirements just to get it to a tie seems exceedingly unlikely.
Honestly though, at the point where only two people would need to flip for the majority to go to the Democrats, it seems crazy that no one’s tried.
You could read the article. The majority threshold is based on seats, not members.
Bobo’s out ill, soo… That threshold has been reached.
So theoretically a dem could vote to vacate right now and they could potentially do it? Though I imagine Republicans would be incredibly offended they didn’t call the vote and uninamously vote against.
I get it’s about defects on individual votes, but Jeffries isn’t going to become speaker without an actual majority. Anything short of an actual majority just means Republican control of legislation becomes more tenuous, not that Democrats will take control.
It’s possible that a few Blue State GOPs would cross Party lines to vote for him.
Sampe quote. “I am a proud ronald Reagan Republican. I remember when Reagan and Tip O’Neil would fight over a bill, then reach a mutually acceptable compromise. I’ll happily step away from the likes of Lauren Bobert in the name of civility.”
I’m not getting excited until it actually happens. I’m burnt out being edged by the news for almost 8 years that Trump was on the verge of being held accountable. I’m done. Hope it’ll happen, but I expect nothing and I expect this whole article to be a completely pointless waste of energy by the time elections roll around. I would fucking love to be wrong.
There’s an old joke about how to things come to complete ruin. Gradually, and then all at once.