...sort of. Gloves are off for the sparring showdown of the 118th Session on which strategies will shine and truly serve Americans’ growing needs this Congress.
UPDATE | 15 was the magic number for the times it took for Republicans to vote Rep. McCarthy as the Majority Leader Speaker for the 118th Session of Congress. For some context, things could have been worse, with Speaker ballots taking over 100 times to pass in years past. Up first, Speaker McCarthy has pledged his Grand 'Ole Party will repeal the $80 billion imparted to the IRS for expanded services and new agent hiring by the Inflation Reduction Act last year.
Kicking off the start of the 118th Session of Congress, the 435 Members of the House are at a standstill, stalled by inner-party squabbling over Speaker leadership for the new majority Republicans.
Working with at least 195 supporters, Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) bid for Speaker continues to fail, falling short of the 218 votes needed to secure the gavel. Dissenting Republicans say they cannot support McCarthy and his reputation for embodying the Washington establishment they are committed to defeating.
Stepping into their new minority position, Democrats addressed shifts in their leadership following Nancy Pelosi’s departure with less disruption, naming Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as Minority Leader.
Across the Capitol, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) resumed his role as Majority Leader of the Senate, and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) resumes his position as Minority Leader under a new record for the upper chamber as its longest serving leader.
The House will not be able to adopt a rules package for legislative procedure this Session or swear in its new Members without a named Majority Leader. Without a means of moving forward administratively, the legislative outlook does not look good for the impending must-pass laws rapidly coming due.
In addition to items like addressing the debt ceiling limit and implementing a longer-term budget, intense political battles in both chambers are likely this session, with issues like immigration and energy production crises reaching a boiling point.
NSBA will be closely tracking committee assignments and leadership roles as administrative matters are finalized. Stay tuned, and follow NSBA for updates.