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November 19, 2022

Republicans have secured a U.S. House majority, barely.  Barely is better than not at all.  But a slim margin will pose daunting challenges to Republicans, who will be led by Kevin McCarthy.  The Californian will win the speaker’s gavel with the full backing of his conference.  He’ll notch a win because the stakes are enormous.  Even, finally, tough-nosed conservative Matt Gaetz knows this. 

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McCarthy wins because he’ll cut a deal with Freedom Caucus members who backed Arizona’s Andy Biggs for speaker.  Biggs won 31 votes to McCarthy’s 188.  Biggs was trounced but really not, because those 31 votes loom large.  Republicans may just top 220 seats.  218 seats are a majority.  McCarthy can’t afford more than a few renegades among his conference, so Freedom Caucus members will exact their pounds of flesh.    

McCarthy only becomes speaker after the whole House votes in January.  The Democrats will nominate creaky Nancy Pelosi, who’s made a few noises about sticking around, or, more likely, Hakeem Jefferies.  Nancy may prefer running the minority to life in retirement with Paul — and any nudist houseguests intruders who happen along.   

The question to ask McCarthy and the usual suspects who’ll fill other GOP leadership roles is, “Now that you have the majority, what do you plan to do with it?” 

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The fear is that House Republicans will spend the next two years as deadweight, simply serving to drag down Biden’s and Chuck Schumer’s anti-everything-that-makes-sense measures. 

Stopping Democrats is critical, indeed, but not sufficient.  Voters don’t just want naysaying.  Surely House Republicans learned something from the recent midterm elections? 

Yes, there was more than one factor why Republicans failed to make robust gains in House contests.  But a glaring failure — compliments of Mitch McConnell and crack Washington GOP consultants — was the notion that Republicans would roll up Ws solely by opposing whatever Democrats stood for.  In other words, the magic potion was a referendum on Democrat rule.  An up or down vote would suffice.  It didn’t. 

Too many Republican candidates, regardless the offices sought, spent too much time hawking their resumés (Republicans always believe they’re applying for jobs) and messaging negatives — tempered, in many instances — about Democrats.  But voters expect more than resumés and negatives.   

The next two years are about House Republicans building a record full of initiatives that voters approve.  A catalogue of smart legislation helps lay the groundwork for the 2024 elections, which include electing a president.  No small potatoes.      

Investigations will play an important role not only in righting some wrongs committed by Biden and his clan, and lay bare the sheer rottenness of administration officials, starting with that bootlicking order-taker, Alejandro Mayorkas, but help shape the political environment ahead.  But legislation focusing on Americans day-to-day needs is pivotal.