The radical wing of the Republican Party disobeys Trump, and the US House of Representatives suffers from unprecedented paralysis

Washington – US House of Representatives we He has been in a state of paralysis unprecedented for two days, in the face of the rejection of the most radical wing of the the Republican Party to support the deputy Kevin McCarthyfrom California to head the House of Representatives.

After rejecting the parliamentarian’s name three times on Tuesday, the group of 20 MPs – small but with enough votes to block a selection – twice rejected a consensus choice, even in the face of pleas from its former leader. President Donald Trump.

Faced with this impasse, the new legislature has yet to be sworn in. The legislative process is deadlocked, which means that no laws can be discussed and thematic committees can not be identified.

This Wednesday before the House of Representatives begins new rounds of voting, Trump called on the far-right faction to support McCarthy in an effort to break the deadlock.. Trump wrote on his social media earlier Wednesday, “It’s time for all the great House members to vote for Kevin, seal the deal and win!” “Republicans, don’t turn a big victory into a big, embarrassing defeat,” he said.

It was in vain. The group, which made a series of demands that the party leadership deemed unrealistic, chose in two votes not to support McCarthy. They range from privileges to driving the legislative agenda to budgetary issues and appointments.

Before the fifth vote, Republican Loren Boebert said Trump called the dissidents to tell them “they need to end this.” Boebert, who is among the 20 Republicans who voted for him Byron Donalds – McCarthy’s chief opponent within the party – said Trump should do the opposite: call McCarthy, tell him he has no votes and must drop out.

Without a president, the Chamber becomes practically a sterile institution. Without jurors, there are no parliamentarians to respond to emergencies or crises. Without the rules dictated by the president, there is no way for the legislative process to proceed either. Suspension of laws and decisions and even the formation of committees. This is because electing the president is the first step for any legislature.

Politicians of both parties are beginning to worry about issues that go beyond everyday legislative debate. Yesterday, Republican Billy Long, R-Missouri, asked, “How is the voter assistance in each district?” , who will leave office yesterday after losing the election. Income tax, passports, everyday issues? Am I still in office until my successor is sworn in? Who takes care of the convenience store? “

Some Democrats scoff at the opposition party’s crisis. Some of them are even posting pictures of buckets of popcorn on Twitter to make fun of the situation. But others are beginning to find the crisis not at all funny. Some fear that confrontation could lead to a delay in wage payments, as in the case of Colin Allred of Texas.

Without a president, legal experts say, any action taken by the lower house can be overturned in the higher courts.

For more than 200 years, the House of Representatives has used the Constitution and the 1789 Act to regulate it. This act, together with a precedent of March 4, 1869, held that the duty of the Chamber to organize itself by proceeding with the election of the President was a priority.

This precedent was confirmed on January 7, 1997, when a judge ruled that the selection of the chamber’s president took constitutional precedence over a vote on a resolution adjourning his election.

Given that history, some lawmakers are now wondering if the room actually existed. “We don’t really have a House,” said Rep. Ted Liu, a California Democrat./ The New York Times E W Post