The Speaker Election: An Overview of the Debauchery

Reported By: Benny Schorie

Illustrated By: Sydney Simmons

It took five days and 15 ballots for the House of Representatives to finally elect the Speaker of the House for the 118th U.S. Congress. The grim path to victory for Representative Kevin McCarthy of California revealed the deep-rooted dysfunction of Congress and the upcoming term’s potential challenges. But, what does any of this mean, and how did we get here?

The speaker position determines which party is in control of the House and organizes the representatives. It does not automatically go to the leader from the general election’s prevailing party despite that being the common outcome of the voting process. The House Speaker has traditionally been left to a roll call vote between each parties’ respective leaders. To win the majority, a representative needs 214 votes. Representative-elects do not have to vote for their party’s leader or can abstain by voting “present,” a neutral vote. Once the speaker is chosen, the representatives can be sworn in and officially step into their positions. This process is not enumerated in the Constitution, making it subject to change if its dysfunction continues.

The Achilles heel of this election was a 21 member faction of hard-right wing Republicans. The Republican party already holds a narrow majority, and this was emphasized by this group stepping out of line. McCarthy ultimately won over 15 with six only voting as “present” rather than fully defecting. However, winning them over did come at a cost for McCarthy by making potentially detrimental compromises and exposing the cracks within the Republican party. 

The most detrimental concession was to allow a snap election, an election called earlier than scheduled, which, if ever called, could result in McCarthy being ousted. With this concession, McCarthy loses out on some of the power of his position. As the 118th Congress is in session, this is a key detail to note and watch out for.

This complex political situation has left many Americans with questions and concerns about our governmental processes; it's even worse for Gen Z who have just entered political consciousness in a time of historical anomalies. We should take into account the gravity of these abnormal events and let them inform our civil engagement and political opinions. The antics of politicians affect our everyday lives. Small moments, like this Speaker of the House election, point to a worsening political atmosphere and expose its underbelly.

Of course, corrupt, game playing politicians are not unique to the current day, but the circumstances and how we choose to handle them are. The first week of Jan. 2023 reminds us yet again the severity of the current day and the importance of voting to keep politicians at bay.