A small advantage, ideological differences and competition of different blocs can make the Republican House of Representatives ungovernable, but this does not mean that it will be easier for Biden.
The lackluster results make the GOP victory in the House look like a loss. But even though the Republicans did not get the majority they wanted, they still won. And in the lower house of Congress, even with the smallest advantage, they can still advance their goals. Only 218 votes need to be consolidated.
The big question is whether Kevin McCarthy, who was nominated on Tuesday to be the leader of the new Republican majority, can provide the unity needed to carry out fundamental tasks such as funding the government. The New York Times writes about it, adding that the right-wing radical members of the party can turn McCarthy's life into a nightmare, and the House of Representatives itself into an ungovernable mess.
A few seats will allow Republicans to take power into their own hands. They will be able to set the agenda, chair committees, issue subpoenas and create problems for President Biden with promised investigations. Despite the unsatisfactory result in the elections, the Republicans are unlikely to agree to cooperate with Biden and, without a doubt, will behave aggressively as soon as they take power into their own hands. For many, this was the essence of the election. Their agenda is investigation, not legislative work.
“We must tirelessly monitor this administration. From the politicization of the Department of Justice to the regulations that are being implemented by every department and that are cutting jobs, we must shine a light on the actions and policy failures of this administration,” said Louisiana House of Representatives and Republican No. 2 Steve Scalise.
For McCarthy, this is the worst possible version of his party's victory. The much smaller number of seats than expected means that the House will have fewer Republicans from critical districts who could help prevent chaos.
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As such, the new speaker will be more dependent on radical right-wing congressmen who quietly won districts where the party was popular, vowing to wage a political war against Biden. At the same time, McCarthy needs to protect newcomers, who will become prime targets for Democratic attacks almost immediately. All this could lead to the House of Representatives becoming ungovernable.
“It will be very difficult. Especially when it comes to getting results,” said centrist Republican Fred Upton, adding that the new leaders have already faced demands from the right wing to agree to limits on their power.
The only outcome that interests many members of the new majority in the lower house of Congress is to inflict political pain on Biden and the Democrats in the House, as many supporters of the idea of ”America above all” insist. During a closed-door meeting of Republicans on Monday, right-wing Republicans including Marjorie Taylor Green pushed for an investigation into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Department of Justice for prosecuting those who stormed the Capitol on January 6. But the new leadership can't just do the investigation. They still need support to pass spending bills and other decisions needed to keep the government running in general. And this is at a time when many representatives of their majority are used to answering “no” to almost everything.
Republicans have shut down the government over spending disputes and battled Democratic administrations over rising federal debt since the rise and fall of Newt Gingrich in the House in the 1990s. In the past, more statist-minded Republicans like Upton have taken matters into their own hands and secured the necessary votes to lead the country out of crisis.
Also read: Some Congressmen Call for Ending Aid to Ukraine Completely – The Washington Post
But the camp of pragmatists has greatly shrunk. They have been replaced by parliamentarians who only want to play fiscal games despite the risks to an already shaky economy. Already, House Republicans are trying to get the incoming leadership team to agree to a rule change that would undermine their power and ability to advance critical bills. Republican Party leaders will likely be forced to seek votes from Democrats. But too many concessions or too deep cooperation can provoke internal division.
House Democrats are pleased with their unexpectedly strong election results. They are unlikely to rush to the rescue of Republican leaders from their own party members without getting something for it. A Democratic majority in the Senate will make life even more difficult for the speaker of the lower house of Congress. The Democratic Party feels more determined by the fact that, despite all historical trends, they were able to maintain a majority in the Senate. They want to use that muscle to advance legislative initiatives that they believe will help them win elections. Also, Democratic control of the Senate means that committees in the upper house of Congress will not conduct parallel investigations against the administration, as Republicans wanted.
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Senator Chuck Schumer, who will remain the Senate speaker, urged Republicans to try to work with Democrats on legislative initiatives. But it doesn't look like Republicans in the House of Representatives will agree to his proposal.
