Why and How We Are In a Constitutional Crisis
Because of the totally ineffective Republicans in the House, our government is frozen.
Photo Credit: The Seattle Times
Issue # 396 OpEd October 23, 2023
Today in the United States, we are in an actual Constitutional crisis because the Republican-led House of Representatives, one-half of the legislative branch, has completely shut down the work of Congress because there is no Speaker.
As much as the Republicans are trying to blame the Democrats for this situation that is entirely their fault. When Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi was in this position, she had the exact same very narrow margin in her Democratic caucus as the Republicans have now, but she was able to get stuff done!
The problem with the House Republicans in this 118th Congress is that they are not there to govern. They only want to cause confusion and conflict.
That is why we are now experiencing a Constitutional crisis.
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A U.S. Constitutional Crisis, in simple terms, is a situation where the Constitution may not provide guidance, allowing conflicts within the government to escalate with no clear resolution in sight. It often stems from ambiguity within the Constitution or a clash among different branches of government.
Historically, the United States has faced several such crises. One of the earliest examples was the Nullification Crisis of 1832-33, where South Carolina declared that federal tariffs were unconstitutional and hence, null within the state. This led to a standoff between President Andrew Jackson and South Carolina.
Another notable crisis was the Watergate Scandal in the 1970s, which tested the bounds of presidential power. President Richard Nixon's attempts to obstruct the investigation into the scandal raised questions about the extent of executive privileges, ultimately leading to his resignation.
The primary responsibilities of the House of Representatives include introducing bills and resolutions, offering amendments, and serving on committees. The House has the exclusive power to initiate revenue bills and impeach federal officials.
The Speaker of the House is an essential figure who presides over the House, manages its legislative agenda, and represents it in relations with the President, the Senate, and external bodies. In the absence of a Speaker, the House is unable to conduct business. This situation leads to legislative gridlock since the House cannot decide on the agenda, so the entire legislative process is stalled. Although the Senate can pass its own versions of bills and legislation, those initiatives must also be negotiated and passed by the House in order to be sent to the president for signature.
It has now been almost three weeks since the previous House Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, was ousted from the post because when he was trying to win the speakership just last January, he agreed that one person (in this case, Matt Gaetz) could start the process to vote him out.
Since October 5, there has been no Speaker of the House, so our government is frozen. No bills can be passed and no one is representing the House to the Senate, the President, or anyone or anything else.
In the meantime, there are several crucial predicaments that need immediate attention, including:
An upcoming November 17 deadline to finance the government or face a total government shutdown. Of course, this is what the MAGA Republicans want; they kicked Kevin McCarthy out because he negotiated with the Democrats to avoid a shutdown--twice.
Immediate additional vital funding for Israel, Ukraine, and the Southern Border has been requested by President Biden, but the MAGA Republicans are only interested in what is happening at the Southern border, even lying about it by saying that Hamas and China are entering the U.S. from the south.
Funding for other government programs that may end if the House cannot agree on financial packages. According to the Constitution, all financial bills must originate in the House.
So yes, we are in a Constitutional crisis because the Republicans have repeatedly proven that they cannot and will not govern to actually help the American people. A very small minority of their House majority is essentially keeping the whole country and our international allies hostage by their inaction.
What are your thoughts about the Republicans and the House Clown Show? Let’s discuss this in the Substack Notes feature!
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