(Washington) Two years after the assault on the Capitol, the American Congress finds itself plunged into another type of chaos on Friday, completely paralyzed by the revolt of some twenty elected Trumpists, who are blocking the election of a president.
Republican Kevin McCarthy, favorite to replace Nancy Pelosi in this position, was still clinging to his candidacy at the start of a fourth day of negotiations. The debates must resume at 12 p.m. in the hemicycle of the House of Representatives.
“Extreme Fringe”
The elected representative of California is dependent on the goodwill of members of the most conservative fringe of his party, who are taking advantage of the very thin Republican majority won in the mid-term elections in November to set their conditions.
The opportunity for the Democrats to denounce the stranglehold of Donald Trump’s faithful – many of whom still refuse to recognize his defeat in 2020 – on the Republican Party, two years after the attack led by his supporters against the seat of Congress.
PHOTO SHANNON STAPLETON, REUTERS
The anniversary of the Capitol assault “should serve as a signal to the Republican Party to reject the Trumpism that has led it from failure to failure,” said Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer.
“The chaos in the House of Representatives is just another illustration of how an extreme fringe […] prevents them from governing, ”assured the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Chuck Schumer.
The anniversary of the Capitol assault “should serve as a signal to the Republican Party to reject the Trumpism that has led it from failure to failure,” he said in a statement.
This second anniversary was marked by a minute of silence on the steps of the United States Congress.
” Some progress ”
Kevin McCarthy reached out to freelancers blocking his election, offering them sizeable concessions in behind-the-scenes negotiations.
In vain.
The group, which says it has no confidence in itself, still refused to fall into line on Friday, still leaving the House of Representatives without a president after an 11-round election – a scenario unheard of in 160 years.
This blockage has very concrete repercussions: without speaker “, the elected officials cannot take an oath nor therefore vote on a bill. But the 434 members of the House of Representatives, the scene of this singular spectacle, will continue to vote until a president is elected.
“We’re going to make progress, we’re going to surprise you,” Kevin McCarthy promised as he entered the Congressional grounds on Friday morning.
Third most important figure in American politics after the President and Vice President, the ” speaker needs a majority of 218 votes to be elected. Mr McCarthy was currently capping at 201.
But how long will his candidacy remain viable?
A member of the Republican staff for more than ten years, the elected official does not currently have a credible competitor. Only the name of group leader Steve Scalise is circulating as a possible alternative, without his chances seeming serious.
What is generally only a matter of a few hours could extend over several weeks: in 1856, the elected members of Congress agreed only after two months and 133 turns.
The annoyance was palpable in the members of the “Grand Old Party”, who largely support the candidacy of Kevin McCarthy, giving rise to very lively debates in the hemicycle. The Republican leadership also knows that it cannot afford to go overboard and alienate moderate Republicans.
In the Democratic ranks, where the elected officials all rise en bloc at each vote, as if to accentuate the Republican divisions a little more, we are busy as best we can. Joe Biden’s party may show unity around its leader Hakeem Jeffries, but neither does the camp have enough votes to end this paralysis.