As the struggle within the Republican Caucus unfolded in the election of a new Speaker of the House, I called it a clown act. My view was simple: the differences needed to be resolved in the Republican Conference before the Speaker election began.
One of the interesting, yet unfortunate dimensions of the several days drama was the lexicon of the drama—the vocabulary of politicians and reporters alike. The dissenters in the Republican Party were almost always characterized using disparaging words and phrases—extreme, excessive, out-of-touch, crazies. And indeed, some were.
But there were others, Representative Chip Roy, for example, whose principal objections were aimed at how Congress works. He and his allies were using the only tool they had to reform the legislating process and try to reduce spending.
Now let me briefly get into the weeds. Congressional leadership over the last several Congresses has consolidated power at the top to an extent that individual members (Members) might as well go to a Spa and give their respective Whips (the Party’s conformist job) a proxy to vote for them.
And since serious Members of Congress have either bought into or are neutered by the concentrated power, the media often takes the path of least resistance and features loudmouths whose principal talent is attracting attention. News without outrage is not attention-getting so “let’s go find the provocateurs.”
Who cares what Republican Members like Marjorie Taylor Greene or Matt Gaetz think about a particular piece of legislation or appropriation. Yet their vainglorious conduct is given disproportionate and misleading weight in news stories. On the Left, the Squad, gets way more coverage than the weight of their thought or power deserves.
The Roy wing (my simplification) of the Republican dissenters in its negotiations insisted on what is referred to as “regular order”. Essentially, the rule changes they demanded would break apart omnibus bills that consume thousands of pages, requiring specific bills. For example, twelve appropriation bills instead of one. And this process would give individual members of Congress the right to propose amendments on the floor before a final vote. While this would be a long and sometimes messy process, the act of making law would be more transparent and Members could be held accountable. There were other changes insisted on like requiring that legislation be published at least 72 hours ahead of a vote.
Having tried your patience, let me close with this point. Newscasters and commentators alike in the Speaker fight kept referring to dissenters as “hard Right” Members. Were there election skeptics and/or deniers in the group? Yes. But should that forever negate potential legislative contributions? No. Keep in mind that much of President Biden’s legislative agenda is an outgrowth of policies pushed by Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-identified Socialist.
There is, of course, risk in opening up the Congressional process. One can argue that only a handful of the 435 Members are rational, studied and accountable. If that is the case, the Republic is in trouble.
If the deal with the new Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, is in fact implemented, we voters will get (if we want) a clearer view of what our Representatives think and how he/she represents us. The more independent thinkers, regardless of Party orthodoxy, will not be as easily herded into, well, the herd. Seems to me that is indeed a worthy reform. And if that is an outgrowth of the “hard Right” dissent, they should be applauded.
And, let me add. There will be many who disparage a Member because he/she takes a hardline on spending. The issue will be distilled into the bills plea, not its cost. How can you vote against a bill that helps “widows and orphans”? This has been going on for a long time and the distillers have won and our debt has ballooned. If the “hard Right” moves spotlight spending excess, good for them.
Complicated stories do not yield rationally to stick-figure images. Often the essence of the story is in the detail and when it is shrunk to generalizations, we are ill-served. Dissent in America has been honored; the herd should not thoughtlessly besmirch it.
Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al writes on themes from his book, Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.
Sue says
Great article
Paul Rybon says
Amen, Mr Sykes. The transparency was a GOOD thing. Thank you.
William Keppen says
“While this would sometimes be a long and messy process …” I wonder if members of the House are ready for that?
L Baker says
I agree. The transparency is good. Much has been hidden in the past what Congress is doing, whether it be hidden agendas in our bills, or how the voting and agreements were handled. Though painful to watch, we need the transparency of what is going on.
Mickey Terrone says
Mr. Sykes, if you were writing about Members of Congress whose general objectives could be characterized by benefiting the average American, then your commentary might be in the realm of reasonable.
I believe, however, that you are stretching credulity because you are supposing, that the (pick your disparaging word) Republican extremists plan to make an effort actually to represent the best interests of their districts’ constituents. I don’t believe they have any desire whatsoever to meet the needs of average people. Republicans have been voting against the best health care interests of their constituents for years and annually rejecting affordable health care without any reasonable alternative whatsoever. They vote as a dependable bloc against public transportation bills, against any raises in the minimum wage, against women’s reproductive rights, for massive tax breaks for the wealthiest 1%, against the Infrastructure Package, among many other obvious “People first” legislative bills.
You think these people will promote transparency? Your friend Chip Roy appears to be a key negotiator of several secret giveaways guaranteed by McCarthy, which McCarthy himself refuses even to acknowledge exist. They worked to kill all transparency for their actions to overthrow our form of government and our electoral process and to protect Trump for actions as president. Many have refused to testify to what they know about January 6th. Now you suggest they want to promote an analytic view of government and public spending for their constituents? You believe they aren’t simply working to disrupt the legislative process by tying up virtually all legislation that protects or promotes the needs of average citizens? You are a trusting soul. I don’t trust these QAnon conspiracy theorists.
Clearly, the most radical of the radical right from the reddest of the red districts don’t care a whit about the needs of their constituents. They care most about getting primaried and getting sound bites on FOX News. The last two years reflect deep red voting among most all Republicans in both Houses, much less the extremists. Even now, the Speaker, his leaders and most rank and file Republicans watched like zombies as the most radical twenty demanded controlling power over House procedures, committee appointments and thus, the remainder of the herd. The remainder of the herd was too afraid to incur the wrath of the Orange Khan to speak out. Besides, many of them had voted against the acceptance of the electoral college results on January 6th, 2021 and none of them ever explained how Trump lost his election but somehow, they themselves managed to win using the same ballots by the same voters.
Mr. Sykes, your party and alas, our House of Representatives are being controlled by the Bannon Wing of the Nihilist Section of the Republican Party, as evidenced by the numerous insurrectionist Freedom Caucus Members’ references to exposing and cleaning up the “Deep State” and Jim Johnson’s wide latitude as Chair of the Judiciary Committee. You suggest giving them a chance and see what happens. Let me suggest that if “kitchen table” issues had anything to do with Andy Harris getting reelected, you are being at best, naive. These “Members” are working desperately to avoid being prosecuted and their actions in Congress are primarily focused there, like their priority of eliminating the Congressional Ethics Office. They are demagogues claiming uber-christianity, uber-patriotism when they are neither. They are “Big Lie” charlatans worthy of no public trust whatsoever. Meanwhile, the “rank and file” of Republicans remain frozen with fear to utter a peep of protest.
Republican radicals howl about lowering taxes and appear to be more than willing to block raising the debt ceiling this week. We are going to get a deadly serious clown show that will endanger our financial system by sending the U.S. into default as a nation. This is precisely how the Bannon Wing will create chaos by claiming the US defaulted by its own hand. This country is being held hostage by fanatical Republicans and allowed to perpetrate these acts by the party’s own rank and file. This is not the time for a wait and see position.