Commentary
After a record-breaking 15 rounds of voting, characterized by brief bursts of internecine warfare interposed with much tedium and the occasional late-night pizza, California Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy was finally elected to the office of Speaker of the House late on Jan. 7.
After a week of chaos and name-calling, the lower House of Congress can now carry on its business, including finally installing the newly elected representatives from the class of 2022 and maybe even getting back to basic lawmaking.
What should have been a quick and ordinary process given the Republican majority devolved into near chaos over the week, as approximately 20 conservative representatives, many aligned with the House Freedom Caucus (HFC), levied a staunch resistance and refused to deliver the votes necessary to install Rep. McCarthy as Speaker, at least until substantive concessions were made….