How Congress Affects Joe Biden’s Term

Washington While the US Congress is in turmoil, US President Joe Biden is counting on continuity. His schedule is full: the program includes the inauguration of a traffic bridge, a speech on the second anniversary of the Capitol attack and a trip to the Mexican border. The fact that parts of the US Republicans paralyze the US Congress is “not my problem,” Biden said in front of his Marine One helicopter, wearing a baseball cap.

But internally in the White House there is growing concern that the dramatic speaker election in Congress could only be a harbinger of permanently chaotic times. The House of Representatives, one of two chambers, has been fighting for a new chairman since Tuesday. In purely mathematical terms, Republicans would have to fill the powerful post of Speaker of the House previously held by Democrat Nancy Pelosi.

Republicans won the House majority in November’s midterm elections, and now they can’t agree on a speaker. Most recently, 20 MPs from their own ranks refused to approve Kevin McCarthy of California. Republican Mike Rogers compared the dissenters to “terrorists” who “point a gun to McCarthy’s head.”

Republican discontent

But regardless of the outcome, the showdown highlights Republican discontent — and raises questions about whether the House of Representatives can meet fundamental responsibilities like funding the US government. Republican Senator John Cornyn sees the raising of the debt ceiling, which is likely to be due in the summer, as the “biggest challenge”.

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Democratic MP Lloyd Doggett described the situation as “very worrying. We are not only jeopardizing the economic future of our country, but of the world,” he said.

Biden’s room for maneuver is already limited after the midterm elections. Previously, the Democrats held both chambers in Congress, now it is only the Senate. Breakthroughs were therefore hardly expected.

>> Read here: Kamikaze in US Congress – Republicans blow up chance for a fresh start

But when it comes to federal spending and lending, the currents in Congress need to come together. Otherwise there is a risk of a government shutdown or even a default with consequences for the global economy.

Some of McCarthy’s opponents are demanding that the United States not raise its debt limit any further – then the economic powerhouse would no longer be able to meet its payment obligations. McCarthy is seen as a pragmatist who would negotiate tough and populist, but would not risk a collapse of the USA.

Kevin McCarthy

The Republican faction leader also fell through in the sixth ballot.

(Photo: IMAGO/SipaUSA)

In 2011, a similar dispute brought the situation to the brink of escalation. At that time, representatives of the arch-conservative Tea Party put pressure on Republican speaker John Boehner, leading to a stalemate between the House of Representatives and the Senate. The conflict over raising the debt limit brought the United States so close to default that the rating agency Standard and Poor’s downgraded the country’s credit rating, resulting in a stock market crash.

>> Read here: US inflation falling – but is a recession imminent?

Shortly before the US went bankrupt, Congress reached an agreement. “What they’re really interested in is chaos,” wrote John Boehner in his memoir of the Opponents. “They want to throw a spanner in the works for the hated federal government until it fails and finally proves that it can no longer be saved.”

Disputes are a symptom of the ideological battle of directions

Today’s Republican rebels belong to the ultra-conservative, Trump-aligned “freedom caucus”; they sit next to each other like a phalanx in the chamber of the House of Representatives. “You’ll never get our votes,” right-wing MP Lauren Boebert told McCarthy, “it’s time you back down.” And her Freedom Caucus colleague Matt Gaetz agreed: “We can go on all week, all month, but I will never vote for that person.”

So far there is no sign that McCarthy intends to give up. The dispute is a symptom of the Republicans’ ideological struggle for direction, which is also likely to shape the 2024 presidential election campaign.

poll

For the second day in a row, the House of Representatives, one of two chambers, is fighting for a new leader.

(Photo: Reuters)

Under Donald Trump, the Republicans lost the 2020 presidential election, but the ex-president is again applying for the White House. His supporters in Congress want to drastically reduce government influence and drain what they call the “swamp of the elites.” The goal is a lean state, even if debt and government spending increased massively under Trump.

Aid to Ukraine questioned

McCarthy tries to accommodate his critics. He questioned the billions in aid for Ukraine. But his opponents want more: including influential positions on committees and the right to remove the speaker at any time.

Also, some dissenters are pushing for powers to freeze government officials’ salaries. That could be used to block law enforcement action against Trump.

In theory, the House of Representatives can vote on a speaker indefinitely, the US Constitution is vague. The Democrats have their own candidate in young, black Congressman Hakeem Jeffries from New York. But neither he nor McCarthy can unite the majority of the votes.

More: “It’s pretty embarrassing” – This is how it continues after the second day of chaos in the US Congress

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