When Does the House Need a Speaker?

Not that soon.

Dear readers,

Kevin McCarthy told reporters yesterday that he’s prepared for the speaker election process to take days. Ralph Norman, one of the approximately twenty Republican members who won’t vote to make him speaker, says he’s willing to take six months. However long this speaker selection process goes on, the House won’t be able to do business until it’s done.

Is that important? I don’t really think it is important. I mean, here’s an example of the pressing business we missed out on yesterday because the House failed to choose a speaker:

Kevin McCarthy @GOPLeader

On the very first day of the new Republican-led Congress, we will read every single word of the Constitution aloud from the floor of the House—something that hasn't been done in years.

Later this year, the House will need to pass bills to fund the government and raise the debt limit. That is important. But that doesn't have to happen very soon — the omnibus bill that passed right before the holidays keeps the government funded through September 30, and the debt limit likely won’t be reached until sometime in the summer. We can keep going with this nonsense for quite a while and still get around to those important matters when the weather is warmer.

Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is seen on the House floor during a vote in which he did not receive enough votes to become Speaker of the House, on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. Reps. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., right, Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., left, and Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., also appear. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

So, where’s the rush? How will House Republicans even spend their time once they’ve settled Kevin’s fate? The answer is kind of stupid.