Dems worry: What happens if the speaker's race isn't over by Jan. 6?

[Nevilledog]

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/11/04/2024-elections-live-coverage-updates-analysis/certifying-election-worries-00187266

House Democrats are increasingly alarmed by a potential threat to the transfer of presidential power: a protracted failure by Republicans to select a speaker if the GOP keeps control of the chamber.

The House convenes on Jan. 3 to elect a speaker, just a few days before Congress is supposed to certify the results of this year’s election. And it’s unclear if Republicans, should they win a House majority, would elect a speaker in time. In January 2023, it took them 15 ballots and roughly four days to eventually select Kevin McCarthy.

The inability of a fractious Republican conference to choose a leader would render the House virtually powerless, unable to do anything except keep voting to pick a speaker. If that fight dragged on for more than three days, it would threaten Congress’ ability to hold a constitutionally mandated joint session on Jan. 6, 2025 to certify the results of the presidential election.

That would set up a constitutional crisis with no obvious solution. Congressional aides and constitutional experts have been puzzling over this scenario for months and have yet to arrive at a strategy.

*snip*

[mzmolly]

1. Good thing Biden is King.

He can have Seal Team Six take care of any shenanigans.

[Kaleva]

2. Democrats will be voting too

It's not far fetched to see enough Dems vote for Johnson so he ends up being elected Speaker

[elleng]

3. OYE!

[Hassler]

4. It would be good to get through election day panic

Before starting the "Who's the Speaker?" panic.

[gab13by13]

7. Post of the day

[Midnight Writer]

5. Guess we'll just have to take the House as well as the Presidency. Hell, let's go ahead and keep the Senate, too.

[Metaphorical]

6. Works for me

We know who will be Speaker of the House if the Dems take over the chamber.

I have to wonder if maybe people aren't getting tired of the clown car games in the House as well. I know I am.

[CousinIT]

8. It's disgusting an extremely destructive that MAGA has destroyed our govt

…to this extent. The founders of course never expected this kind of goddamned bullshit.

[CrispyQ]

9. Do they need a speaker? The VP presides over the joint session EC count.

https://www.cato.org/blog/there-no-little-secret-speaker-power-over-electoral-count

snip...

Nor does the Speaker preside over the joint session, a task falling to the vice president as President of the Senate, who happens to be Kamala Harris. (She would not be the first VP to preside over certification of her own victory or defeat). The President of the Senate has no power to make decisions about the electoral count itself, about rejecting or accepting votes, but as presiding officer she will still have the “power to preserve order” as specified in 3 USC § 18.

Though the electoral count might take place in the House chamber, the space is not, for that time and purpose, the House’s alone or the Speaker’s to control, as it would be in the course of normal business. It is under the control of Congress as a whole with the President of the Senate tasked with maintaining, if need be, literal physical control of the room, directing the sergeants at arms and however much backup is necessary to that end.

[Autumn]

10. I think the Dems may be electing a speaker of the house.

If so the 6th won't be a problem.

[Bev54]

11. I really don't think Dems will have any problems

They have their speaker elect all ready to go with Jeffries.

[Fiendish Thingy]

12. The speaker has no role in the joint session on January 6

It won’t matter if there isn’t a speaker, since the speaker doesn’t have any role or authority over the January 6 process.

[Fiendish Thingy]

13. Journalists who write such nonsense, and the editors who approve it, should lose the jobs. Nt