WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House of Representatives is back in session after adjourning. a few weeks offBut that agenda is quickly overtaken by sudden rebukes, reprimands, and parliamentary investigations, leaving little room for legislation.
There are few bills to consider and no quick fixes to the problem. Rising health insurance premiums —The House instead spent its time demanding that members punish each other for personal and political transgressions with extravagant spectacle both inside and outside the chamber.
“I’m sorry for this body,” I said. Commissioner Stacey Plasketta Democrat who represents the U.S. Virgin Islands, was the target of a failed effort by House Republicans to censure and remove her from the House Intelligence Committee.
On Wednesday, he tried to censure another lawmaker. Rep. Cory Mills, Republican of Floridafiled hours before the House Ethics Committee suddenly announced it would investigate the congressman.
Reprimands leave little time for legislation.
With only weeks left until the end of the year, the House is leaving without much time to advance unfinished business in an environment of heightened political scrutiny. Of particular concern is whether Congress will be able to address the expiration of the health insurance tax credit on December 31st. This could leave millions of Americans unable to afford insurance in the new year.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson When the government reopens federal government shutdownnegotiations will begin. President Donald Trump Regarding the health care debate. But a full week into the session, there is little sign of progress on this or other issues, including regular bills to fund the government and prevent another shutdown.
“It’s time for the House of Representatives to actually do things that matter to the American people,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at his weekly news conference.
Jeffries said House Republicans “have had no choice but to crawl back to the Capitol” after being away for nearly seven weeks due to the government shutdown and “have yet to bring a bill to the floor that actually addresses America’s high cost of living.”
“What’s wrong with these people?” he asked.
Healthcare and government funding in crisis
Rank-and-file members are testing the Republican speaker’s leadership in new and divisive ways as Prime Minister Boris Johnson seeks to take control of the House of Commons, where Republicans control a narrow majority. They are seizing the tools at their disposal to manipulate Republican speakers.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson needed to reverse course and support the vote to remove him. Jeffrey Epstein files After a large-scale riot by members of Congress demanding action. What started as fraud by a few members on so-called discharge petitions turned into a near-unanimous roll call, sending the bill to the Senate and then to Trump for passage.
“Having forced a vote, no one wants to be on the record or be accused of not being as transparent as possible,” Johnson said. “Of course we want maximum transparency.”
Investigation into Epstein case gets tougher
Republicans, including the Freedom Caucus, launched a campaign against Plaskett over text messages he received from Epstein during a 2019 committee hearing with Trump’s former political fixer Michael Cohen.
Republican Rep. Ralph Norman, who is running for governor in South Carolina, said the correspondence was inappropriate and is calling for Mr. Plaskett to be removed from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
“She did it to herself,” he said during Tuesday’s heated debate.
But Plaskett, a former U.S. attorney in New York who was appointed to the Justice Department during the Bush administration, defended her actions. She said she was simply interacting with voters — Epstein own Two small islands in the US Virgin Islands. He was one of many texting as his cellphone exploded with messages during the high-profile hearing. At the time, it was not publicly known that Mr. Epstein was under investigation, she explained.
The effort failed 214-209, with three Republicans joining Democrats in opposing the censure resolution and removal from the Intelligence Committee. Efforts by Democratic leaders to refer the situation to the Ethics Commission for review also failed on a 214-213 vote.
Republican Rep. Nancy MaceMr. Mills, who is also running for governor in South Carolina, introduced a resolution against Mr. Mills at noon Wednesday, saying he would “discredit” the House with numerous alleged violations. A Florida judge grants a secrecy order against Mills at the request of his ex-girlfriend. who claimed it After she broke up with him, he allegedly released nude images of her and threatened to physically harm her future boyfriend.
And earlier in the week, a vote was taken 236-186 to reprimand. Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Illinois After he announced his victory and his chief of staff became the only candidate to file the necessary documents to run for the House seat. not seeking re-election.
The new normal of chaos in the House of Commons
There have been at least six censures and other disciplinary actions against lawmakers this year, mostly by Republicans seeking to punish Democrats, who have retaliated with threats of lawsuits against Republicans.
“If Republicans want to go down this path, there isn’t enough time in the Congressional calendar,” Jeffries said.
And members of both parties have used the discharge petition strategy to push issues like the Epstein file to the forefront over the objections of Republican leadership.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has lamented the chaos that is not fully under control and has repeatedly said he wishes he could be a “normal” Speaker of the House of Commons. But some believe this House is the new normal.
“I think this is indicative of what the House has been like for quite some time,” said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.). “And that’s by design. Nothing gets done.”
Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz. faced with one’s own transgressions It consulted the Ethics Commission in 2020 and said penalties were the new normal.
“It’s weaponized. It goes back and forth, back and forth,” he said.
“In the past, the speaker would have scolded me and told me to stop.”
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Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.
