For the first time in U.S. history, the House of Representatives voted to remove the Speaker of the House. There are a lot of questions regarding what happens next, but let’s start with how we got here — and how this is all part of a bigger strategy to inflict hurt and harm on our communities.
In order to first become Speaker of the House back in January, after 15 rounds of voting, Kevin McCarthy made significant concessions to a small group of Republican extremists, agreeing to change a key rule so that only one person was required to call a ‘Motion to Vacate the Speaker.’
This new rule came into play this week after the House passed a spending bill that avoided a government shutdown. One member filed a motion to remove McCarthy since they did not get the extreme demands they wanted in the spending bill — policies that were disconnected from what the people want and deeply harmful to vulnerable communities. Enough Republicans voted to pass that motion, and now the House does not have a speaker. To be honest, Republicans have been threatening this procedure since January, it was only a matter of time before their dysfunction got to this point.
I want to be clear: The chaos that Republicans — every Republican, not just this small group of extremists — caused in the House this week is all part of a greater strategy. The same strategy that involves inciting an insurrection, undermining the integrity of our elections, and inflicting harm on marginalized communities.
Chaos at any level erodes public trust in our government and in our democracy. The current aimless state of House Republicans is not just unreasonable. It’s not just embarrassing. It’s not just petty. It is a great threat to our democracy — and that’s the point.
This event illustrates the sharp contrast between the Democrats, who seek to govern and advance progress, and the Republicans, who continue to move with chaos and callous disregard for the people we represent.
The people who call this country home deserve a functioning government. Period.
So while pundits talk about who the next Speaker of the House will be, I welcome Republicans to join Democrats and vote for Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the House so we can govern and do our jobs.
I’m going to continue fighting for marginalized communities as we move forward — and I’ll keep you updated on what comes next.
Yours in service,
Ayanna
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