The Filibuster in Congress

The Filibuster Coup in Congress

According to Iran Gate, Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, was removed from office with an unprecedented vote, and the US Congress was at risk of paralysis. McCarthy, the Chief of the House of Representatives in the United States Congress, was ousted from his position after a vote in which eight of his extreme and Trumpist fellow party members voted against him.

His removal decision was approved with 216 positive votes and 210 negative votes. All Democratic representatives voted in favor of his removal. It has never happened in the history of the United States that a Speaker of the House resigns during election competitions, let alone at a critical moment like the present, when Congress has very little time to approve the budget law, which includes financial and military aid to Ukraine, which is in a crucial stage of counterattack.

However, the position of McCarthy has not been strong since the beginning of his tenure. Nine months ago, when he was elected in the fifteenth round of voting, he had to compromise with the Republicans to change a series of laws. These laws eventually led to his expulsion and made it easier to remove him. Since then, he has tried to neutralize some of the extremist right-wing activities, including the impeachment process against Joe Biden, and at the same time, he has tried to make America great again, overturning Trump’s slogan in 2016, and also trying to mitigate their negative impact.

However, the last-minute agreement he made with the Democrats last week to prevent a government shutdown proved fatal for him. From the beginning, many believe that any other person who replaces him will be an inheritor of the poisoned supporter. Matt Gaetz, a Republican representative from Florida who led the Republican insurgency group, advocated for McCarthy’s removal.

Fratricide in the right-wing faction

Immediately after the vote in a speech, MacCarthy announced that he does not intend to run again and takes responsibility for his choices. I am not regretful of taking a stance for choosing the government instead of succumbing to anger. This is my responsibility, this is my job. I am not regretful of negotiating. Our government is formed to find reconciliation.

A temporary leader, Patrick McHenry, has been appointed in his place, but officially he only has a ceremonial role until a new leader is elected, a process that will not be easy considering the infighting within the Republican Party.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who appeared in court this week for fraud trial in New York, has unusually remained silent about the infighting within his party. On Wednesday, in his Truth platform, he expressed his disagreement with the ongoing events at Capitol Hill and wrote, ‘Why do Republicans always fight with each other? Why don’t they fight with radical left Democrats who are destroying our country?’

Shock and fear

Matt Gaetz, with harsh and bitter words, said after the voting session that McCarthy was expelled because no one trusted him anymore. He had made many controversial promises and now we have pulled the plug. Let’s continue working with the new leader. While the Democrats have been convinced that the chaos resulting from McCarthy’s expulsion will benefit them politically, the Republicans are in shock behind closed doors, gathering to assess and determine the next steps that need to be taken.

The Wall Street Journal writes sharply in an editorial that on Wednesday, a group of eight Republicans managed to remove Kevin McCarthy from the position of House Speaker. We hope they are happy now, as they have achieved the chaos they wanted, although it is unclear what they hope to gain from it. It seems their clever plan is to shoot themselves in the foot.

According to many conservative American media outlets, it is said that the Republican establishment actually overthrew their own Republican House Speaker without any clear plan, hypothetical successor, or political goal. They wrote that we are moving in unknown waters that could become very turbulent and chaotic over time, leading inevitably towards a shutdown in mid-November. Even the Democrats themselves will not be safe from the consequences of losing their majority. The next House Speaker could be someone weaker or not as compromising and conciliatory as the previous one.

Now, what will happen?

The unprecedented removal of the House Speaker jeopardizes the prospects of US aid to Ukraine. If in recent weeks, Trumpist far-right extremists refrain from voting for the budget bill that includes $6 billion in financial and military assistance to Kyiv, the next Speaker will certainly not approve the agreement that led to his predecessor’s removal.

Joe Biden, who was forced to negotiate with McConnell to delay the risk of a government shutdown and ensure the payment of federal employees’ salaries, now finds himself alone. This weakens the position of the resigning Speaker of the House, who had convinced himself of the need for military support from Kyiv. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is trying to present himself as an angel of peace.

A few days ago, in his speech in Iowa, he said that when he was president, Putin did not attack Ukraine because he told him not to, and Trump promised several times that if re-elected, he would end the war within twenty-four hours.

It could be argued that from now on, everything happening in Washington is solely aimed at supporting or, conversely, slowing down the competition between the two sides towards the White House. On one side of the coin is Biden and Harris, and on the other side is Donald Trump. Polarization, radicalization, and inefficiency are the keywords that can describe what happened in the House of Representatives.

Polarization is determined by a partisan opposition that minimizes electoral mobilization, creates very small majorities, and increasingly hinders necessary compromises and mediations for governance.

Political radicalization is almost inevitable from both parties, even though it appears more prominent and pronounced in the Trump Republican Party, which is held hostage by its most extreme members.

In conclusion, this inefficiency certainly reflects many untimely anachronisms of the United States government system, which will be further highlighted and exacerbated by recent events in the legislative process.