During a recent discussion on MSNBC with host Joy-Ann Reid, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) pushed for a bipartisan coalition in the House to fix the Speaker problems that remain ongoing in the legislative chamber.
After the successful push by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for the removal from the role as Speaker of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), it’s been weeks without Republicans — the only ones in the House with the numbers to clinch a majority — settling on a path forward that actually gets the House moving again. Both before and after McCarthy was pushed out as Speaker, Republicans have mostly rebuffed even the possibility of working with Democrats on a bipartisan compromise, whether it took the shape of an agreement to salvage McCarthy’s stint as Speaker or a consensus around a later option like temporarily empowering Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), who’s been leading limited House proceedings.
“The moment requires more than Republicans can offer,” Swalwell said. “And the only path forward to fund the government when funding runs out in a couple weeks, to fund the humanitarian needs in the Middle East and to stand with Israel as it defends itself, and to stand with Ukraine as it defends freedom against Russia — the only way forward is a bipartisan governing coalition. And we keep raising our hands and saying, ‘Take yes for an answer. We’re here to give you those votes.'”
Republicans now have nine declared candidates vying for the Speaker role after the failure on the House floor of the conference’s pick Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who was opposed by some Republicans. The process of settling on yet another formal pick from House Republicans for voting on the floor will move forward this week — and it’s unclear unless such actually happens in real time that one of these candidates will be able to get the majority of votes cast for individual contenders on the floor, giving them the Speaker’s role.
