The deadlock in Congress has revealed the need for rethinking who the Speaker of the House should be. Historically the Speaker has been chosen from the sitting representatives in the House, historically the Speaker has been chosen by the majority party, these precedents have worked historically, that is, until they haven’t.
The last twenty years have seen a rise in political maneuvers that can best be described as tit-for-tat politics. Each time either party wrests control of the House from the other, that party enacts policies that purposely reduce the ability of the minority party to have a legitimate seat at the proverbial table. Tit-for-tat politics has led to an increasingly polarized political landscape in Congress, with neither side willing to reach across the aisle our legislative processes have stalled and, as in previous articles posted here at Crayon Box Politics, forced the Executive and Judicial branches of our federal government to step into the void left by the crippled Legislative branch.
The Current State of Congress
As of the writing of this article, the US House of Representatives still does not have a Speaker, a situation that was created when Representative Matt Gaetz called for the removal of former Speaker McCarthy. While the ensuing chaos has revealed significant fractures in the Republican caucus, it has also revealed the weaknesses inherent with the American two-party political process.
The extreme polarization of the parties has led to a situation in which the minority party, in this case the Democrats, have the ability to reach across the aisle and help to med wounds by siding with mainstream Republicans against their more extreme colleagues. Unfortunately, instead, the Democrats are content to sit back and watch the Republican caucus tear itself apart in the hopes that they can turn this into electoral wins in 2024, allowing them to regain control of the house. There is no thought to the implications that a leaderless House has on the functioning of the government, much less the health of the nation, instead the focus is on party loyalty.
The Need for Rethinking the Speaker of the House
This brings me back to my assertion that the deadlock in Congress has revealed the need to rethink how the Speaker of the House is chosen. While the best, most expedient, and less extreme action would be for the moderate members of each caucus to put their heads together and elect a Speaker that is amenable to both sides of the aisle. This solution is not one that I can see as a viable action given the polarization in the House. Democrats don’t trust the Republican caucus after a majority of the caucus hopped on the “Big Lie” bandwagon. Republicans don’t trust the Democrat caucus because of the Democrat’s attacks on former President Trump while he was in office as well as their current willingness to allow the Republican caucus to implode when they could easily provide support to the mainstream section of the caucus.
The more radical solution is one that House members like Representative Marjory Taylor Greene hit on while loudly promoting the idea of electing former President Trump to the position. No, I am not promoting the idea that the former president be placed in the position, however, I am promoting the idea of selecting an outsider to preside over the House. Representative Greene was not wrong in her assertions that an outsider could fill the role, in fact, the constitution merely states that the House must appoint a Speaker but does not go further in defining additional requirements. To that end, I think that there is one outsider that would be the ideal candidate for the position: former House Representative Liz Cheney.
Liz Cheney: The Ideal Candidate for Speaker
As a Republican, Miss Cheney has the conservative pedigree to be hailed as a champion for conservative ideals. Her congressional background makes her someone that any member of the extreme wing of the Republican caucus would be hard pressed to define as anything but a staunch conservative. A vote in favor of a Cheney speakership by mainstream members of the Republican caucus would be seen less as a betrayal of conservatism and party and more as a vote in favor of the nation.
As a politician, Miss Cheney has demonstrated a willingness to reach across the aisle to get things done. Made famous by her willingness to toss her political career to the side to stand by her principles, Miss Cheney has demonstrated herself as someone that members of the Democratic caucus can work with. With a trusted agent in the position of Speaker, Democrats would have greater freedom of movement to work across the aisle and get legislation passed without concern for the extreme wing of the Republican caucus stepping in to derail efforts to accomplish the constitutional duties of the House.
Historical Significance of a Cheney Speakership
Liz Cheney is the perfect candidate because she provides political benefits to both sides of the aisle, while at the same time, neither side will be totally happy with her as the speaker. The perfect compromise, a Cheney Speakership would be historic for two very important reasons:
It will be a historic first, a departure from precedent and an important signal to the American people that they have been heard. A Cheney Speakership would prove to the American people that their representatives understand the reason for such a closely split House: The American people want compromise and an end to the political tit-for-tat.
Given her position is the result of bipartisan support, Miss Cheney would not be restricted to party loyalty, as an outsider, Miss Cheney would not represent any specific district and would be free to act as an honest broker for all Americans. This would move the position of Speaker of the House from a political placement to a role of mediator, something our legislature is in dire need of.
As a realist, I completely understand that such a speakership is likely not in the realm of possible, but the thought experiment is a nice one to have. Regardless, we, the American people need to step up and demand more from our representatives. Our voice must be clear: no more political tit-for-tat, no more news conferences in which the underlying argument is “they started it first.”
Interesting, if only everyone could agree.