The selection of a new U.S. House Speaker is expected to take longer than usual when the new Congress convenes January 3. Congressman Fred Upton tells us Republican Kevin McCarthy is seeking the position, but it looks like he won’t be able to reach the needed 218 votes on the first ballot. So, what if there isn’t a Speaker?
“If there’s no Speaker, nothing happens,” Upton said. “The Speaker swears in the new Congress, and legislation starts to go through the communities, but the committees themselves cannot even form with the membership.”
Upton says McCarthy is likely to force multiple votes to get elected Speaker. That isn’t common.
“It’s been – I’m not kidding – 100 years, at least 100 years, before they’ve gone multiple ballots. But I’m pretty convinced we’re going to have multiple ballots on January 3.”
Upton says the votes for a Speaker could potentially go on for days. He’s predicting some chaos when the new Congress convenes, and tells us it’ll be a “thriller to watch.”
