The 2023 election process for Speaker of the House was very intriguing. Although I believe that the 20 republicans stalling the effort did not have a united voice and some of their motivations may have been disingenuous, the principle of trying to wrestle away power from a few leaders has merits. The founders did not want a select few in the House to hold all the power. In other words, separation of powers is also important not just between the branches of government but within the branches of government to prevent tyranny. There are 435 House members, and the power should not be concentrated in a few leaders and a select few who head important committees. The founder’s intention was clear, they disliked power and therefore, they felt power should be shared by as many people as possible to take the corrupt tendencies of humans out of the equation of government. [i]
The NY Post reports that the agreement between the 20 republicans and speaker elect Kevin McCarthy include a guarantee to vote on a balanced budget amendment and term limits for Congress. New rules to make bills focus on one issue instead of multiple issues loaded with pet projects and thousands of pages of pork, a 72-hour window to read the bill before a vote, an inflation score on appropriations, and promise to refuse another debt ceiling hike. [i] These all make sense and are solid principles of a republic nation. Now we will wait and see if McCarthy follows through with any of these concessions.
[i] Freedom Caucus earns major concessions from Kevin McCarthy (nypost.com)
[i] Here's what the 20 Republicans voting against Kevin McCarthy say they want (mercurynews.com)
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