OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Democrat Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar had a tantrum after the election of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
After the Speaker made some concessions to a group of 20 Republicans in order to get their voters, or have them vote “present,” Omar started ringing the doomsday bell on Twitter.
“McCarthy just agreed to a deal with far right insurrectionists that would hold the entire US and global economy hostage to extreme cuts to everything from housing to education, healthcare, Social Security and Medicare. Hard to overstate how dangerous this is,” she said.
McCarthy just agreed to a deal with far right insurrectionists that would hold the entire US and global economy hostage to extreme cuts to everything from housing to education, healthcare, Social Security and Medicare.
Hard to overstate how dangerous this is.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 6, 2023
She also responded to a comment that said some moderate Republicans would work with Democrats to vote against the rules package that Speaker McCarthy made with the group.
“This would mean once the Speaker is elected, the rule package the Freedom Caucus negotiated fails and a rules package that doesn’t have any of the concessions passes. Tune in at 10pm to find out how this saga ends,” she said.
This would mean once the Speaker is elected, the rule package the Freedom Caucus negotiated fails and a rules package that doesn’t have any of the concessions passes.
Tune in at 10pm to find out how this saga ends. https://t.co/F9vvUWxS3H
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 6, 2023
Omar was hammered for her comments.
“Dangerous freedom > peaceful slavery,” the Hodge twins said.
Dangerous freedom > peaceful slavery
— Hodgetwins (@hodgetwins) January 7, 2023
“Is it as dangerous as marrying your brother?” comedian Tim Young said.
Is it as dangerous as marrying your brother?
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) January 7, 2023
“Democrats just pushed through a $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Bill, and you’re worried about spending more money already. Sounds like that deal was needed!” Florida Republican House Candidate Vic DeGrammont said.
Democrats just pushed through a $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Bill, and you're worried about spending more money already. Sounds like that deal was needed!
— Vic DeGrammont (@votedegrammont) January 7, 2023
California Republican Kevin McCarthy finally managed to become Speaker for the newly elected Republican House majority following some late-night drama involving Matt Gaetz after the GOP lawmaker from Florida voted “present,” initially denying McCarthy’s victory by a single vote.
“It took a loss by a razor-thin margin in a late-night Round 14, a heated exchange with one of his sternest opponents, and a near-adjournment of the House till Monday to break a logjam unseen since before the Civil War,” the Associated Press reported after the 15th round of balloting.
“The final tally that put him over the top: 216 for McCarthy, 212 for Democrat leader Hakeem Jeffries and 6 simply ‘present,'” the outlet reported.
A video clip of a frustrated McCarthy confronting Gaetz after his first “present” went viral online late Friday:
🚨 BREAKING: Matt Gaetz votes present, leaving Kevin McCarthy one vote short of being confirmed as Speaker.
McCarthy is NOT happy 😂pic.twitter.com/dWcDjTQAVo
— Patriot Alerts (@alerts___) January 7, 2023
The newswire noted further:
All day Friday, McCarthy had been inching ever closer to taking up the gavel as he won over multiple diehard conservative critics and resistors. McCarthy, who flipped 15 colleagues to supporters in dramatic votes on Friday afternoon, returned to the chamber at 10 p.m. ET with hopes high that he’d woo enough additional hardliners to put him over the top.
But then came a surprising loss, with him snagging 216 votes, just one shy of the 217 needed to get a House majority afterh two colleagues, Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz, merely voted “present.”
What followed was some extraordinary drama, as McCarthy and Gaetz appeared to exchange sharp words on the House floor. A vote to adjourn till Monday was quickly introduced, but was then walked back as supporters did a U-turn and rescinded votes.
Some Republicans said the drama was worth it to secure a better rules package agreement regarding power from McCarthy.
Can lip readers of the world please unite and provide a running commentary on the house conversations taking place right now!#Speakerofthehouse #Gaetz #McCarthy #HouseSpeaker #hilarious pic.twitter.com/Xyc3ZQKmMR
— Meghan Stabler (@MeghanStabler) January 7, 2023
“This is a really good rules package, and it’s good that we negotiated this for our system of government, and it’s great for the American people,” said Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.). “If we’re going to have self-government, we’ve got to show this” to the public.”
She also said she did not agree with Gaetz’s continuing to hold out support for McCarthy.
“I disagree with his position” of refusing to support McCarthy. “But that’s OK. We’re still going to be friends tomorrow after this is all said and done,” she said.
“There’s a point in time where you’ve got to give up on your position — after getting everything you want. … At that point, you’re not really negotiating. You’re more of a hostage-taker,” she noted further.
Earlier Friday, Gaetz threatened to resign from Congress if moderate Republicans struck a deal with Democrats to elect their leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, or help elect McCarthy over the objections of House conservatives.
But that said, the Florida Republican also expressed confidence that all 212 Democrats would continue voting for Jeffries to be speaker after selecting him to become the leader of the party, replacing Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
