I didn't know it was possible to elect a House Speaker who's not serving in the House

[octoberlib]

Some guy on Hardball just told Chris Matthews that the House GOP( specifically the Freedom Caucus) wants to get rid of Paul Ryan and bring in somebody from outside the House to run for Speaker. Watch it be Steve Bannon,

[elleng]

1. 'The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives.

The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution. The Speaker is the political and parliamentary leader of the House of Representatives, and is simultaneously the House's presiding officer, leader of the body's majority party, and the institution's administrative head. Speakers also perform various other administrative and procedural functions, and represent their congressional district. Given these several roles and responsibilities, the Speaker usually does not personally preside over debates. That duty is instead delegated to members of the House from the majority party. Neither does the Speaker regularly participate in floor debates or vote.

The Constitution does not require that the Speaker be an elected House Representative, though every Speaker so far has been an elected Member of the House.[3] The Speaker is second in the United States presidential line of succession, after the Vice President and ahead of the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives

[octoberlib]

4. The Speaker of the House should be an elected representative. I mean, they're working

for the people. That's a weird clause. I wonder what the reasoning was behind it.

[unblock]

5. I can see it being better if the speaker is seen as not representing a particular district

There's obviously plenty of room for a vonfothat ct if interest in the role of speaker vs. the role of representing one particular district, and I'm sure every single speaker we've had has taken advantage of their dual role.

I can see a former president or cabinet member in being an "outside" speaker.

Of course, I can also see it as being a largely ceremonial role, much as the vpotus being president of the senate is most if the time. Of course, vpotus actually has tie-breaker power, which is more than an outside speaker would have....

[octoberlib]

6. True. Former Pres. or cabinet member would be fine but I'm sure that's not who these nutjobs

have in mind.

[unblock]

11. Yeah their idea of a national figure is Alex jones....

[rurallib]

2. yep - can't imagine a majority of the House would vote for it

I remember folks talking about it when they wanted to boot Boehner.

[octoberlib]

3. I'm sure they have somebody awful in mind. I can't see it passing, either.

[MgtPA]

7. I saw that too. That puts an unelected Repub

3rd in line for the Presidency. If Trump and Pence are forced out, this guy would be President...

[octoberlib]

8. Didn't think about that aspect. Not a good idea.

[struggle4progress]

9. This isn't innocent: the Speaker is second in the line of Presidential succession

[Squinch]

10. That's interesting. What do they know? That would mean they think Trump and Pence

are both going down.

[jmowreader]

12. Looks like they're trying to shield Trump from being 25th Amendmented

The GOP undoubtedly has enough on Pence to impeach him. If Pence decides to overthrow Trump, they impeach Pence without approving any VP replacement nominee they could come up with, and the Speaker becomes president.

I don't think they'll choose Bannon, though. It'll be more likely they'll choose either Grover Norquist or one of the Koch Brothers.