If Gaetz isn’t sworn in
The GOP has a 219-215 majority in the House
And Mike Johnson can’t become Speaker without a majority
GOP Rep Massie said he’s a NO
If he holds, Johnson can’t lose even one more vote
Now other Republicans want to extort him
So-will he ask Gaetz to show up, just for a day
Trump doesn’t care, all he wants is the election confirmed.
Get your popcorn ready
Don’t forget that it’s possible for members to vote “present”, in which they register a vote for no one. Members who vote “present” don’t count in the majority calculation, because the Speaker needs a majority of a votes cast for a particular person. Ironically, it’s like they were not present at all. So, if two GOP members vote “present” instead of for Johnson, it reduces the threshold to 217, and Johnson still wins.
What am I missing? Down 2 votes and even 1 more holdout puts it at 216-215 right?
The election for House Speaker requires a majority, and a tie doesnt count. So with the current House at 434 members, if every member votes for someone then one person will need 218 votes to get the job. If no one reaches that, they just keep voting.
If two Republicans vote for someone else, that vote fails (since 217 is not a majority) and they hold another one. If those two, instead, do not vote (or vote “present”), then the vote passes because he will just meet the majority of votes cast after those two are removed. So it’s significant if these Reps vote for someone else vs. just abstaining.
It means the ones on the fence can make big asks / get concessions from Mike Johnson.
