Lowcountry GOP U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, part of the Band of Eight breakaway Republicans, and all House Democrats did themselves no favors by voting to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week.
By the time you read this, there may be a new House speaker, but last week’s vote is important to review. It was a strategic misstep. It caved to short-term thinking and exacerbated risks to the country and the institution of Congress.
The danger of the situation became clear quickly in Saturday’s surprise, murderous attack by Hamas on Israel. While a U.S. carrier strike group reportedly is headed to the region, at home in Washington, Congress had to sit on its hands — not able to do anything for our greatest ally in the Middle East — because there was no speaker. Bottom line: Short-term drama put the nation at risk. Shame on Congress.
Other risks: Billions of dollars of more aid to Ukraine is on hold because the House couldn’t meet to consider funding. Another government shutdown looms in mid-November. And the clock ticks with no way for the House to consider 12 appropriations bills and move things along. According to NPR, having no speaker posed major risks for defense spending, Covid relief measures and global anti-HIV programs. A House on hold is worse than a do-nothing House.
McCarthy was a relatively weak speaker, but he was a known entity. When pushed, he would deal with Democrats (occasionally) and the Biden Administration. Dumping him because of the tantrum by a few uber-conservative members with personal beefs about McCarthy’s leadership put the institution at even more at risk. How? Unless McCarthy supporters, some Democrats and more moderate forces in the GOP step up, the House may elect someone who could be even harder to work with.
The mercurial Mace says she voted to boot McCarthy because he didn’t keep some promises. Surprise. McCarthy, is a politician. But her non-strategic, long-term petulance wasn’t in the country’s — or Lowcountry’s — best interest.
And the 208 Democrats, including South Carolina veteran U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, who voted against McCarthy likewise should be spanked with a wet noodle. Better the devil you know than the one you don’t. Had Democrats been thinking of the future instead of being grumpy about some of McCarthy’s recent blame-game comments, they would have understood that keeping a weak McCarthy could have helped them regain the House in 2024.
There’s not often a lot of intelligence going on in the halls of Congress. Recent events make that crystal clear.
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