Republicans owe the nation a single vote for speaker
Washington Examiner
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House Republicans must get their act together, serve the country rather than narrow interests or personal vendettas, and elect a House speaker now.
After three weeks of turmoil, nine new Republicans put themselves forward for the party’s nomination for speaker. This makes for a grueling multiballot process. Whichever candidate emerges with the nomination should be given the same courtesy that most nominees have until recently, which is to get a “yes” vote from every member of the majority party on the floor.
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Differences over policy or process should not set aside the obligation of each member to support the nominee their party has chosen. Nor should pique, political calculation, or obeisance to a particular presidential contender. Those considerations might reasonably come into play during the elimination votes. But once the party chooses, its members should fall in line.
The only exception should be for serious doubts on ethics. Conscience votes on corruption must be allowed and should dictate a “no” vote. Otherwise, a “yes” vote should be automatic.
A nearly automatic House floor vote is one of the few moments when the American government should observe what in parliamentary systems such as the United Kingdom is known as “Cabinet collective responsibility.” The rule provides that while dissent is legitimate and important within top-level party discussions, the party’s Cabinet members are obliged in public to support the decision resulting from those internal deliberations.
The rule exists because an elected government has a responsibility to govern. The House by rule cannot legislate or perform many other functions without a speaker. To refuse to select a speaker holds the country hostage without a legislature at the whim of a recalcitrant few.
Individual lawmakers have independence once the legislature is functional again. Individual bills can fall without bringing down the whole government, so members of Congress are free to vote their consciences or constituencies with less deference to party. A vote to keep the House without a speaker keeps the whole House and the nation it serves in limbo.
Elected officials owe some teamwork to the party whose label they adopt. A lawmaker should try to secure the party’s majority. That’s the only way its agenda can be implemented. If Republicans win by claiming to be the party of “limited government,” each of them ought to work to keep big government Democrats out of the majority.
Republicans cannot hope to hold a House majority if they won’t govern when they do. There never is a good time for the House of Representatives to be unable to function, but now is one of the worst moments for impotent stasis. At least 10 Americans are held hostage by unspeakably evil Hamas terrorists, the Middle East is aflame, Communist China is rising, troglodyte Russia controls about 18% of Ukraine’s territory, and Iran and North Korea are on the verge of being nuclear powers with advanced missiles. Domestically, natural disaster relief funding hangs in the balance along with financing of the rest of daily government operations, including weapons procurement and some services for veterans, all while another government shutdown looms a few weeks away.
In these circumstances, House Republicans must end their temper tantrum. Once a speaker nomination reaches the floor, all GOP members must vote, on the first ballot, in favor. To do so is both a partisan and patriotic duty.