Letters from Capitol Hill that Members of Congress have written and signed on to lately.
Jan. 03 | 219-215 in 2025
On Jan. 3, 2025, the House will meet to close the 118th session sine die. On the same day, Members of Congress will open the 119th with a slim 219-215 Republican majority.
As part of its first orders of business, Congress will vote on a rules package to set the terms of legislative engagement through 2027…but not before the election for Speaker is taken care of.
Endowing the Speaker with protections the lower chamber has never offered before, the Republican package contains proposed changes for the rules of the 119th Congress that would, for the first time in history, shield the Speaker by making it so only Republicans can move to vacate the chair.
The current rules permit just one member of the House to force a vote. The one-member threshold has kept recent Speakers on constant notice from ultraconservative lawmakers for negotiating with Democrats on issues, such as government spending.
In fact, the proposed rule change for the 119th Session was reportedly negotiated between the Chairman of the Main Street Caucus Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Chairman of the Freedom Caucus Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD).
Several conservative hardliners have been hesitant to raise the threshold to oust the Speaker, viewing it as powerful leverage over the Speaker, but agreed to the change in exchange for the withdrawal of punitive amendments that could punish members for bucking leadership.
In essence, the relevant provisions of the changes require a total of nine Members of the majority, including the bill sponsor of a respective legislative vehicle to vacate the chair and for a new Speaker’s election in the middle of the Congress. Specifically:
Resolution Causing a Vacancy in the Office of Speaker. Subsection (a) provides that a resolution causing a vacancy in the Office of Speaker shall not constitute a question of the privileges of the House under rule IX unless it is offered by a member of the majority party and has accumulated eight cosponsors of the majority party at the time it is offered.
For some context on coups over Speakers past, only four motions to vacate have ever been introduced in U.S. history, and only one time has a Member of the minority party attempted to oust a Speaker: Former Rep. Albert Burleson (D-Texas) forced a vote to remove House Speaker Joe Cannon (R-Ill.) in 1910, but Cannon survived the vote (and would eventually go on to have the oldest House office building dedicated in his name).
Historically, the threshold has been one Member, but Democrats changed the rule when they took control of the House in 2019 to require a majority of the House Democratic caucus or House Republican conference to introduce a motion to vacate.
Tighter over publications on their infighting compared to their conservative counterparts, Democrats are expected to retain current leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
As part of the current proposed rules package, Republicans’ first 12 bills are closed, meaning no amendments will be accepted from either party.
In addition to the rules package, Congress must certify the 2024 general election results. If Republicans do not choose a Speaker within three days of commencement of the new Congress, there are options to proceed in a joint session under the gavel of the Vice President in a limited pro tempore forum.
With the Speaker election shaping up to be a showdown, lest we forget the chaos of the last election for House Speaker - a 22-day affair, where Republican party factions formed and continue to fester from.
President-elect Donald Trump and First Buddy Elon Musk recently endorsed current Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to continue as leader in the House.
Working with razor-thin margins, at least one Republican Member said they will be a ‘no’ vote on Johnson for Speaker this Friday when Congress returns to Capitol Hill.
Speaker Johnson said he is confident he will be reelected House Speaker after a single round of votes.
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Jan. 03 | FROM THE DESK OF THE MAJORITY LEADER
On Friday, the 118th Congress will meet at 11:00 a.m. for legislative business and adjourn sine die. The House will convene for the start of the 119th Congress at 12:00 p.m. Members are advised that there will be a recorded quorum call at 12:00 p.m. following the Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance.
Election of the Speaker of the House
Swearing-in of Members and Delegates
Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress, and for other purposes. (Sponsored by Rep. Scalise / Rules Committee)
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Jan. 01 | New Orleans New Year-Nightmare
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) wrote a letter to Chairman-elect Rand Paul of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, demanding the Biden Administration be held accountable following a New Year’s Eve terrorist-linked attack on New Orleans’ famed Bourbon Street.
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Jan. 01 | Vying for Venezuela
U.S. Representatives Darren Soto and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, both Florida Democrats, led a letter to President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Department to extend and redesignate Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status.
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Dec. 31 | Axis Action
South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson calls on Secretary of State nominee, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and National Security Advisor nominee, Representative Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) to "prioritize using U.S. law enforcement mechanisms to expose and dismantle Georgian sanctions evasion schemes, scam call centers, and other illicit Georgian Dream enterprises."
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Dec. 31 | A Cyber Hack for Christmas
Tim Scott, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, and House Financial Services Committee Vice Chair French Hill ask for a briefing by Jan. 10.
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Dec. 31 | SS Lame Duck
Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) is urging Social Security Acting Commissioner Carolyn Colvin to postpone making an appointment of the Social Security Chief Actuary following the current one’s retirement.
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