# The Great Ongoing Revolving Speakership of the 118th Congress {Mike Johnson is new speaker as of 2023-10-25} **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 12, 2023, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432 "2023-10-12T02:05:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 75
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1481 "2024-02-13T22:14:01Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > None of the people who could hold him to account care about the lying and hypocrisy. I think they do care. But it’s a feature. They like it. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1482 "2024-02-14T00:52:38Z")
They got the count they wanted. The senate is away right now, so impeachment on hold for a few weeks. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1483 "2024-02-14T01:15:48Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > The senate is away right now, so impeachment on hold for a few weeks. Senate Democrats don’t have to conduct a trial, AFAIK. But it might be worth it to get the acquittal on record. I wish they had also done Biden, so he could be acquitted. But if the NY special election goes as polled, the House GOP will not have the votes. Impeaching without likelihood of conviction is in the worse-than-a-crime-it-is-a-mistake category. ---
**Author:** ![MulderMuffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldermuffin/32/2862_2.png) [@MulderMuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MulderMuffin)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1484 "2024-02-14T01:16:35Z")
FFS. This is beyond ridiculous and a huge waste of everyone’s time. The Senate won’t convict because the poor man hasn’t done anything worth being impeached over. Meanwhile, how is that budget bill coming along, House Republicans? We’re about to hit another deadline, and i wouldn’t be too confident that the Democrats will pull your fat out of the fire a third time. Who were the 2 Democrats who didn’t vote? ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1485 "2024-02-14T01:49:04Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#): > > Who were the 2 Democrats who didn’t vote? Judy Chu and Lois Frankel. There were also two Republicans who didn’t vote. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1486 "2024-02-14T01:49:23Z")
I can only imagine this is going to hurt the Republicans come election time. What a circus. I have no idea what they think they’re going to accomplish. All that said, bring it on. Watching you slam a hammer against your hand will be entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1487 "2024-02-14T01:53:12Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > Judy Chu and Lois Frankel. There were also two Republicans who didn’t vote. Chu has COVID. I don’t see why Frankel couldn’t vote. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1488 "2024-02-14T02:03:48Z")
Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1489 "2024-02-14T03:18:04Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Senate Democrats don’t have to conduct a trial, AFAIK. But it might be worth it to get the acquittal on record. Current Senate rules call for an impeachment trial to begin at 1 pm on the day after articles of impeachment are delivered to the Senate, except for Sundays. However, Senate rules also allow the body to immediately shunt it off on a committee to investigate the matter and come back to the full Senate with a recommendation. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1490 "2024-02-14T03:23:32Z")
Frankel says she was on a greatly delayed flight with a Republican, apparently Maria Salazar, who of course didn’t vote either. The Democrat just won Santos’s seat, so this was the last chance the GOP had to get this pointless impeachment passed. Impeaching with no chance of conviction should be seen as prosecutorial misconduct, just like indicting someone you know would be acquitted. Just from a political standpoint, Mike Johnson would have helped his party by instead passing a resolution to (unfairly) condemn Mayorkas. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1491 "2024-02-14T04:29:21Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Impeaching with no chance of conviction should be seen as prosecutorial misconduct I’m fairly sure the Repblicans pushing the impeachment know it has no chance in the Senate, so I assume it’s Kabuki theatre. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1492 "2024-02-14T04:45:42Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Impeaching with no chance of conviction should be seen as prosecutorial misconduct, just like indicting someone you know would be acquitted. Just from a political standpoint, Mike Johnson would have helped his party by instead passing a resolution to (unfairly) condemn Mayorkas. Part of the point is to demonstrate that impeachment is just another partisan tool, so that Trump’s impeachments look less legitimate in retrospect. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1493 "2024-02-14T07:23:30Z")
In the special election in NY-3 to replace Santos, Democrat Tom Suozzi handily won over the Republican 54-46 (with 93% of the vote counted). > **[New York 3rd Congressional District Special Election Results](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/02/13/us/elections/results-new-york-us-house-3-special.html)** > > Get live results and maps from the New York special election to replace George Santos. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1494 "2024-02-14T07:30:09Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I have no idea what they think they’re going to accomplish. Fundraising. That’s the only thing they’re interested in anymore. They’re certainly not interested in governing. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1495 "2024-02-14T08:35:09Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Fundraising. That’s the only thing they’re interested in anymore. They’re certainly not interested in governing. That seems plausible to me. ---
**Author:** ![TeroSunbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terosunbear/32/14748_2.png) [@TeroSunbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeroSunbear)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1496 "2024-02-14T11:44:25Z")
With nothing else going on, impeach! The Biden impeachment will be more difficult. Not only is the constitution confused about “office” and “officer.” It is also confused about “shall.” It can also mean “won’t.” > “[The Constitution] says that the Senate ‘shall’ have the sole power to hold a trial, but that ‘shall’ is doing a lot of work there and it doesn’t mandate it,” says Casey Burgat, the director of the Legislative Affairs Program at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management. “And in a lot of people’s eyes, it doesn’t force it.” > The Senate rules suggest that once the chamber receives the articles of impeachment from the House, they must schedule a trial to begin the following day, Burgat explained. But a majority could vote to “reinterpret” the rules, opening up a number of avenues to speed through, delay or dismiss the impeachment outright. > House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said Tuesday that Mayorkas “is an exceptional case.” Johnson argued that the border chief “has brought more damage on the country than any cabinet secretary that has ever been.” > **[The House just impeached Alejandro Mayorkas. Here's what happens next.](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-impeached-alejandro-mayorkas-what-happens-next/)** > > Mayorkas is highly unlikely to be removed from office. But how the Senate proceeds remains to be seen. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1497 "2024-02-14T12:13:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Johnson argued that the border chief “has brought more damage on the country than any cabinet secretary that has ever been.” If I rolled my eyes any harder I could bowl a strike. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1498 "2024-02-14T12:14:18Z")
> [@TeroSunbear](#): > > House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said Tuesday that Mayorkas “is an exceptional case.” Johnson argued that the border chief “has brought more damage on the country than any cabinet secretary that has ever been.” I see that he’s become proficient in the GOP tactics of exaggerated baloney. For example, two Cabinet Secretaries abandoned the US to join the Confederacy, and one ([John Floyd](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Floyd)) may have armed the South before the War. I’d rank that pretty high as “damaging the country.” ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1499 "2024-02-14T13:12:33Z")
And that’s not even getting into the subject of Betsy DeVos. ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/1500 "2024-02-14T13:23:57Z")
They’re coming up with ever-more-unexpected ways to abuse power and smash norms. And they’re nearly unanimous on this point. Only three Republicans in the House voted not to impeach Mayorkas. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432.md?page=74) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432.md?page=76)