House speaker holdup affecting constituent services
Jack Birle
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As the House of Representatives remains without a speaker, lawmakers are unable to perform services for constituents because they have not been sworn in as members of the new Congress.
A staffer for a Republican representative-elect told Politico reporter Olivia Beavers that they were unable to work with the IRS in the interests of their constituents due to the fact that members must be sworn in by a speaker of the House.
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“Unfortunately until a speaker is elected and the members sworn in I will not be able to assist you with this matter as the Congressman is still technically a congressman-elect,” the email from the IRS to the staffer said.
Several McCarthy allies replied to the tweet, calling out the prolonged speaker race and how it is affecting their constituencies.
“Every day that passes where we fail to elect a Speaker is a day my colleagues and I cannot assist my fellow Veterans with VA claims, help seniors get their social security, or fulfill any of our commitments to the American people,” Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN) said in a tweet.
Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL) directly called out Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Rep.-elect Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) for holding up the speaker election, saying it is “causing real consequences for Americans.”
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Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has failed in 11 ballots to garner the votes needed to become speaker. Twenty Republicans voted for other candidates in the recent votes, but no one received the necessary 218 votes. The House is set to reconvene tomorrow at noon and vote for a dozenth time on a speaker.