https://www.powerlineblog.com/...ngress-right-now.php

Twitter thread by Chad Pergram of Fox:

Starting the new Congress is inherently messy in a pandemic. The House of Representatives implemented “remote voting” in the spring. That’s where the House permitted members who were at high risk, quarantining, tested positive or caring for someone who is ill could “phone in” their vote.

The House will vote on Monday on a new “rules package” to begin the new Congress which will include a remote voting option But in the House, you can’t carry over rules from the 116th Congress to the 117th Congress.

That’s why everyone has to show up at noon today.

This poses an interesting, ethical question: Is it appropriate for members who have tested positive, have been in quarantine or been exposed, be present today?

Here’s what to expect in the House today. First, the House must take care of old business. The House meets, for the last time at 10 am et and adjourns the 116th Congress. The new, 117th Congress starts at noon et, per the Constitution. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), an ordained United Methodist pastor, will lead the opening prayer to begin the new session.

Nothing has constituted the House at that point. There is no Speaker. Clerk of the House Cheryl Johnson presides. The first order of business is a quorum call to get everyone there – pandemic style.

Under normal circumstances, all 435 House members-elect would crowd into the chamber to vote electronically and record their presence. But during coronavirus, the House will summon members to the chambers in seven groups of about 72 persons.

The first tranche starts with Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) and runs through Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX). The seventh and final group stretches from Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) through Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY).

Members are instructed to report to the chamber, record their presence and depart. We expect it will take until a little after 2 pm et to get the quorum there. Watch to see exactly how many members show up for the quorum. This will be crucial because it will dictate the size of the House to begin and how many votes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) needs to return to the Speaker’s suite.

Watch to see exactly how many members show up for the quorum. This will be crucial because it will dictate the size of the House to begin and how many votes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) needs to return to the Speaker’s suite. The House will entertain nominations for Speaker around 2:30 pm et. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) will nominate Pelosi.

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) will nominate House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). The House will then begin a manual roll call with members filing into the chamber, again, in groups, and verbally announcing their vote. This will take until 5:30 pm et or later.

We expect the election of the Speaker sometime between 5:30 and 6 pm et. Presumably, Pelosi wins and will be sworn-in by the Dean of the House (the longest-serving member), Rep. Don Young (R-AK). Pelosi in turn swears-in Young and begins swearing in members in groups of 72 members. The House will observe a moment of silence to note the death of the late Rep.-elect Luke Letlow (R-LA).

The House should start at 432 members and three vacancies: 222 Democrats and 210 Republicans. The vacancies are from New York’s 22nd District, Louisiana’s 5th District and Florida’s 27th District – but the latter will be filled soon.

There is still no race call in the contest between current Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-NY) and former Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY). Letlow died from complications related to coronavirus. Rep.-elect Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) indicates she will not be present to take the oath office.

So that’s how we get to at least three vacancies to begin the new Congress. Possibly more. Salazar could be sworn-in as soon as her health allows. And, the House could approve a resolution later this week allowing Salazar to be sworn-in outside of the Capitol.

That’s happened before. Pelosi indicated she will seat Rep.-elect Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) after her six-vote victory over Democrat Rita Hart. But Hart has asked the House Administration to probe the outcome in that contest.

This is where it could get interesting. You take the field today with the players you have available. That’s why, in the age of a pandemic, it’s possible – possible – that if Democrats don’t have the right numbers, Republicans could – could – actually have the majority. We always say it’s about the math. It’s about the math.

Well, the math really matters today. Whichever side has the most members present today is in the majority.

Period. The only thing which really matters as to which side has more votes is what comes next: election of the Speaker.

Nothing can happen in the House until it elects a Speaker.

Nothing. And anything can happen during a pandemic. Even Pelosi has said that her foe in the Speaker’s race is COVID.

The successful Speaker candidate secures an outright majority of the entire House. Not the most votes.

Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) voted present in 2019. But Cooper now says he will vote for Pelosi. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) voted “present” in 2019. Slotkin says she can’t support Pelosi. Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Jared Golden (D-ME) voted for Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) two years ago.

That’s why some wonder if it could possible for the House to elect McCarthy or someone else as Speaker.

That scenario is unlikely. But it will come down to the math.

update:

Breakdown in House is 220 DEMs. 207 REPs

Pelosi can only lose 6 members

She needs a majority of 427 members

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sdy,

update

https://www.breitbart.com/heal...secure-another-term/

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is turning the House of Representatives into a potential coronavirus hotspot, allowing Democrats to break quarantine to vote in the speakership election as she faces a tough battle for another term atop the chamber.

At least three members, according to congressional reporter John Bresnahan, are breaking quarantine to attend swearing-in ceremonies and the all-important speakership election Sunday. Two of them are Democrats, he revealed, and one is a Republican. In addition to those three comes Rep. Gwen Moore (D-FL), attending the vote to back Pelosi after testing positive for the deadly virus just six days ago.

A senior GOP congressional aide ripped Pelosi, calling the decision to bring these coronavirus risks into the House solely to secure a second term as Speaker a “speakership election super spreader event.”

“Nancy Pelosi’s grip on the speakership is so tenuous that she is forcing members exposed to coronavirus to break quarantine and come to the Capitol to vote for her and protect her political power,” the senior GOP aide told Breitbart News.

Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL), the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, also ripped Pelosi for the matter:

@RodneyDavis
, top R on the House Administration Cmte, is very upset about this “Popemobile” built in the House Gallery for quarantined members. He says the “only reason this is happening is because Speaker Pelosi needs to be re-elected speaker.” “It’s shameful.”

I hate these people.

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
I hate these people.

It's time for a 2nd American Revolution.

Chad Pergram:

Dem CA Rep Mark DeSaulnier will cast his vote for Speaker later despite not voting in the quorum call. So Hse will actually be at 428 mbrs. Magic nmbr for Spkr will be 215

5 total defections from Pelosi now. She can only have 6 and be re-elected as Spkr. Dem NJ Rep Sherrill, Dem MI Rep Slotkin & Dem VA Rep Spanberger all vote present.


Dem ME Rep Golden voted Dem IL Sen Duckworth

Dem PA Rep Lamb voted for Dem Caucus Chair Jeffries today

Pelosi elected Speaker. She has 216 votes.

don't know if there are more votes coming.

Cortez voted for Pelosi

The Squad dragged her over the line. Wonder what they were promised?

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/...for-speaker-n2582472

I question the sanity of these people to still support Pelosi. They’re all crazy as hell.

like rat2306 wrote,

https://www.breitbart.com/poli...less-majority-house/

While each member of the so-called “squad” did vote for her, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Cori Bush (D-MO) withheld their votes until after the roll was called then came into the chamber to vote for her at the very end. The symbolic move seems to indicate they are the ones who put Pelosi over the top, as had they thrown in against Pelosi the San Francisco Democrat would not have had the votes she needed to win re-election.

so much theater

and Spanberger was all show too


But technically, Spanberger actually helped Pelosi secure the speakership by voting present. That lowered the total number of votes Pelosi needed to win, as a candidate needs to win a majority of those present and voting for a person . Members of Congress know this, and Pelosi did not actually need Spanberger’s vote in the end, but her claims to have voted for “new leadership” are dishonest as she in effect helped Pelosi secure another term. If she wanted to express opposition to Pelosi, Spanberger and the others who joined her would have actually voted for a different person.

Reps. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) were the other two who voted “present.”

has that "well choreographed" look to it

quote:

Originally posted by rat2306:
The Squad dragged her over the line. Wonder what they were promised?

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/...for-speaker-n2582472

the hypocrites got promised ice cream for life

No surprise. Did anyone really honestly think these animals are capable of change? They will always fall in line.

I'm sure a lot of promises and threats were made. You don't get where she is by being nice or stupid. But im sure she promised the squad something and it won't be anything we like

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
I hate these people.

It's time for a 2nd American Revolution.

the sooner the better

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
I hate these people.

^ Nailed it.

I fear there isn't a toilet big enough to flush all these cretin socialist jackwads away.