Tom’s Tidbits- The Debt Ceiling fiasco could be an off ramp for the sane

Tom’s Tidbits- The Debt Ceiling Fiasco could be an off-ramp for the sane

Greetings,

The Debt Ceiling pays for Congress’ PAST spending, not FUTURE spending, but once again the Reps are threatening a fiscal explosion over it. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is in control because all spending bills must originate in the House and the Speaker controls the agenda. But “The Speaker” and “Kevin McCarthy” don’t have to be the same thing and that may be an opportunity in the threat.

House Speakers historically come from the majority Party because the majorities vote for their own folks. They don’t have to. Speakers just need a ‘majority of members present and voting’ which is usually 217 votes of 435 total, but it can be less if some don’t vote. McCarthy won his Speakership with 216 votes because six anti-McCarthy holdouts voted “present” on the 15th ballot to give him ‘a majority of those voting’. The deal with the radical Republicans for those votes, among other things, included the hostaging of America’s economy and requiring just one vote to challenge the Speakership. The current makeup of the House is 213 Democrats and 222 Republicans, and since the Speaker doesn’t have to come from, or even have the backing of, the majority party, here’s what they can do…

The Democrats form a coalition with JUST FIVE Rational Republicans to back ONE Rational Republican as Speaker. Thanks to his deal any ONE representative can challenge McCarthy’s Speakership, so they replace him as Speaker with the 213 Democrats, 5 leading Republicans, and as many other Republicans as follow them… leaving the hostage takers of the Party isolated. Whether it’s the beginning of a longer coalition or not, a new Speaker offers many advantages.

First, the House could extend the Debt Ceiling and allow Congress to negotiate future spending as is their damn job. I don’t think most Republicans want to crash the economy… here’s an ‘out’ for them.

Second, it reflects the current, citizen-voted balance in the House. A Republican Speaker guarantees Speakers’ Powers stay in Republican hands, a powerful incentive to the Rational Republicans to jump ship.

The biggest advantage is that this would separate the sane from the insane. Rational Republicans do not HAVE to be hostages to the predators who have pillaged their party, but without meaningful opposition they’re complicit. This gives them yet another off ramp they say they’ve been looking for.

I think the Debt Ceiling Fiasco will likely solve itself when interests of the Top 1% are threatened, but the bigger problem of political hostage takers would remain. This would solve the Debt Ceiling while also letting people who can disagree WITHIN an American system break away from those who would tear it down if they can’t have their way. A new Speaker wouldn’t solve all our problems, but a world without Kevin McCarthy would leave the sane people to start working on them.

Make a great day,

aaazTomSignature