Hi Friend,

This afternoon, a few members of Congress can prove that they have the courage to put country before party. 

As you’ve likely heard, Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy is being blocked in his House Speaker bid by some far right members. They’re making procedural demands of McCarthy that would give them immense power to dictate what happens in this Congress. 

Because of this, it may require a few courageous House Democrats to prevent the extremists from getting that power, a move that would ensure Congress being able to deliver bipartisan solutions these next two years. 

Let us explain:  

To become Speaker, a nominee needs a majority of “votes cast for a person by name,” and in the 435-member House, that usually means 218 “yes” votes. But, say for example 10 members decided to vote “present,” then only 213 of the 425 votes cast would be needed for a speaker to win. 

That’s what provides an opening for a few brave Democrats today. The minority party typically uniformly votes “no” for the majority’s speaker nominee. But this moment is anything but typical. 

These few far right members have no alternative to McCarthy. They are just agents of chaos. That’s why they are trying to undo key elements of the rules reforms that No Labels first called for in our 2018 Speakers Project, which were later implemented with the leadership of Problem Solvers Caucus.  

These far right agitators want to make it possible for as few as one member of Congress to file a “motion to vacate the [speaker’s] chair,” which would put the speaker under constant threat of losing his job the next two years unless he kowtows to the most extreme members of his own party. 

It won’t be easy for any House Democrat to vote present, making it possible for Kevin McCarthy to become speaker today, but this isn’t about Kevin McCarthy. This is about our country and whether we still have an ability to govern ourselves. This is a chance for House Democrats to ensure there is space for the House, Senate and White House to come together to deal with urgent challenges like inflation, our broken immigration and education systems, and the growing threats from abroad. 

If McCarthy can become Speaker today without needing the votes of these far right extremists, than he will be empowered to reject their most extreme demands over the next two years and to embrace the kind of bipartisan problem solving America so urgently needs. 

Ryan Clancy
Chief Strategist
No Labels