- House Republicans are stuck in an endless loop of infighting as they search for a new leader.
- Multiple times, their comments have taken on a pettiness that stands out even in this era.
America's had a reality TV host become president. Now, it's seeing what happens when the nation's representatives devolve into petty squabbles that have long-powered our cherished reality TV staples.
Cameras watching the floors have documented the now weeks-long effort to replace former Speaker Kevin McCarthy after his historic ouster.
But C-SPAN cameras can't possibly capture everything. For the rest, there's a mixture of social media posts and reporting on what is really happening behind closed doors as the House remains speakerless for weeks on end. Just last night, Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolinian who voted for former McCarthy's historic ouster, complained that one of her GOP colleagues blocked her on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"This is exactly what's wrong with this place - too many men here with no balls…," Mace wrote with a screenshot showing Rep. Greg Murphy, a North Carolina Republican, blocking her.
—Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) October 20, 2023
Belatedly, Murphy responded, "I have been blessed to be a surgeon for 35 years and saved thousands of lives both her [sic] and abroad. Oh I got 'em. And they are real…."
Things haven't been much better behind closed doors, reportedly. McCarthy, according to multiple reports, screamed at Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to sit down during a testy exchange on Thursday.
Asked about what happened, McCarthy told reporters, "I think the entire conference screamed at him. Listen, the whole country, I think would scream at Matt Gaetz right now."
Gaetz, who led the effort to oust McCarthy, later said, "I'm told I have a punchable face," when discussing his colleagues' apparent ire towards him. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado was recounting how both times she saw colleagues almost come to blows, Gaetz was involved. The first time in January came as House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers had to be restrained from charging at Gaetz.
"Don't bury the lede there — hey, at least it's not backbenchers trying to whip my ass, it's chairmen at least it's people with gavels," Gaetz said after Boebert recounted the latest charged exchange between Rep. Mike Bost of Illinois and Gaetz during a closed-door meeting.
The lack of a speaker is forcing the House to churn through days without making any progress on any of this.
There's even been instances of members of Congress dishing about one another's fashion choices, like when Republican Rep. George Santos (who recently received a superseding indictment accusing him of fraud and identity theft) took to X amidst the recent rounds of House speaker votes to see which lawmaker — Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett or Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema — best wore yellow outfits with shoulder pads to the Capitol.
"WHO WORE IT BEST?!" Santos posted online, prompting Crockett to respond with a message akin to an eyeroll.
To be fair, pettiness in Congress is nothing new.
Lawmakers have often developed and nursed grudges over the smallest of slights real or perceived.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, feuded in 2012 as the two senators lobbied to get each of their respective alma maters into the Big 12 Conference (Manchin ultimately won). Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho reportedly held up a government funding bill in 2018 when he became aware that one of its provisions would re-name a nature preserve in his state after an apparent political rival. And in the distant past, some members of Congress quite literally engaged in duels.
Still, the current drama is notable as Congress has real work it must get done this year. The federal government will shut down in less than a month if more funding is not passed.
President Joe Biden also wants over $100 billion to help Israel, Ukraine, and to help secure the Southern border. There are also multiple sweeping areas of American life that must be reauthorized covering everything from the planes we fly on to the food that goes on our tables. The consequences of inaction could be great: if Congress fails to extend or pass a new farm bill, some agriculture policy would return to practices from the 1940s.
After Jordan failed on a third vote on Friday, reporters asked McCarthy, who continues to support the Ohio Republican, if his party was broken.
"We are in a very bad place right now, yes," McCarthy said, likely walking to his office where he may or may not be squatting in.
New episodes are likely coming next week. Republicans dumped Jordan as their speaker nominee on Friday afternoon before leaving DC for the weekend. It's not clear who the new star(s) will be.