McCarthy’s Slim House Majority To Bring Headaches

The Wall Street Journal reports:

Republicans won enough seats during midterm elections to capture a slim majority in the House, but their ability to advance their agenda will face both practical and ideological challenges tied to such a historically small margin. With little wiggle room, party leaders will need the support of nearly every Republican to propel partisan legislation, giving each member more leverage to alter or block proposals.

Down the road, deaths or incapacitating illnesses could further narrow the majority, particularly as Republicans move to end remote proxy voting, a Covid-19 related measure that the GOP opposed. In 2022 alone, Reps. Jim Hagedorn, Don Young and Jackie Walorski died in office. Six other House members resigned, including to take other politically appointed positions.

Read the full article. In 2020, the Supreme Court rejected McCarthy’s challenge to proxy voting. Many GOP reps went on to abuse the policy, claiming that they were in COVID quarantine, for example, when they were actually attending CPAC. As noted by the WSJ, the end of proxy voting could mean that GOP bills would fail if just a few Republicans happened to be out ill that day.

GOP party leaders in the House will need the support of nearly every Republican to propel partisan legislation https://t.co/QwKxh2MpH6

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) November 25, 2022