ICYMI: Top reads on Congress

By Marian Currinder

House

Haley Byrd, “A Coup in the Offing?” Weekly Standard:

“Top Republicans in Congress and the White House have in recent days entertained a plan to push House Speaker Paul Ryan out of his post over the summer, in an effort to clear the way for his presumed successor, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, to assume the speakership.”

Stephen F. Hayes, “McCarthy Denials About Replacing Ryan Don’t Hold Up,” Weekly Standard:

“THE WEEKLY STANDARD has published two stories in recent days about efforts by House majority leader Kevin McCarthy to replace Paul Ryan as speaker of the House before the November elections. McCarthy and his team have denied the claims and personally attacked our reporters. Our response: THE WEEKLY STANDARD stands by our reporting, without qualification.”

Rachel Bade and John Bresnahan, “Ryan facing growing doubts about hold on speakership,” Politico:

“No one’s plotting to take him out at this point, and Ryan insists he’s not going anywhere. But rank-and-file Republicans, including moderates who’ve been unflinchingly loyal to Ryan during his three-year tenure, have become increasingly willing to defy the lame-duck leader.”

Tara Golshan, “The rumored coup to push Paul Ryan out of his speakership early, explained,” Vox:

“Ryan, who is not running for reelection, has said he will remain in his speakership until the end of his term, warning against a huge intraparty leadership fight in the middle of a contentious election year. Needless to say, if the reports are true and Republicans want Ryan to step down early, that would indicate he might be facing an uprising.”

Dave Weigel, “Why Mick Mulvaney’s idea to force a Pelosi vote wouldn’t work,” Washington Post:

“Some bad ideas are bad on their own merits. This one’s bad because it reveals a high-level Republican misunderstanding of the dynamics among House Democrats.”

Lindsey McPherson, “Immigration Discharge Petition Will Get Final Signatures, Deputy GOP Whip Says,” Roll Call:

“With all but three Democrats signed on as well, the petition now has a total of 213 signatures, only five away from the 218 needed for one of the signatories to be able to call the queen of the hill rule up for a vote on June 25. Only two more Republican signatures are needed if the remaining three Democrats sign it.”

Carl Hulse, “Usually Reliable and Cooperative, Centrist House Republicans Rebel,” New York Times:

“In a marked departure from their usually cooperative nature, a bloc of mainstream House Republicans is challenging both the hard right and their leadership by demanding an immigration vote that they say is long overdue and essential to their electoral well-being.”

Mike DeBonis, “’Just pure frustration’: How months of inaction led 20 Republicans to take a stand on immigration,” Washington Post:

“Denham and nearly two dozen of his fellow Republican lawmakers have now joined together, spurred by pressure back home and frustrated by the GOP leadership’s lack of action on a heated issue that has long stymied the party.”

Lindsey McPherson, “House Republicans Break Record for Closed Rules in Single Congress,” Roll Call:

“The House Rules Committee broke a record Monday night for the number of closed rules — a mechanism for setting up floor debate on a bill without amendments — reported in a single Congress. The panel tied and then surpassed the previous record set during the Republican-controlled 113th Congress of 83 closed rules when it reported out two closed rules.”

Jennifer Shutt, “Women on the Verge of a Breakthrough on House Appropriations,” Roll Call:

“Texas Republican Kay Granger and New York Democrat Nita M. Lowey are both vying to become the House Appropriations Committee’s first chairwoman. And while only one of them can claim that title, if the other is named ranking member for the 116th Congress, they would make history together by being the first women to co-lead a standing House committee.”

Senate

Rachel Bade and Elana Schor, “Senate passes harassment bill as civil rights groups slam it,” Politico:

“The Senate on Thursday easily passed a bipartisan deal to overhaul Capitol Hill’s sexual harassment system even as civil rights and women’s groups joined House members in knocking the bill as too easy on lawmakers who are accused of inappropriate workplace behavior.”

David Hawkings, “What’s a Senate Blue Slip And Why Is It Losing Power?” Roll Call: 

“It’s a literal blue slip of paper that for decades meant a senator could block a president’s nominee to a federal judgeship in their home state. These days, however, the Senate’s blue slip might be becoming defunct.”

Al Weaver, “Senate Democrats dare GOP: Go ahead, cancel the August recess,” Washington Examiner:

“Senate Democrats said Wednesday they aren’t worried at all about Republican threats to cancel the August recess, and even some who are in tough races against their GOP opponents said staying in Washington might help show voters that they’re willing to work hard.”

Congress, Miscellaneous

GAI @ Georgetown, “Congress, Two Beers In,” (podcast)

Featuring Casey Burgat discussing congressional staff.

Jonathan Miller, “The Blue Dogs Are Barking Again,” Roll Call:

“Yet many are now eyeing 2018 as the Blue Dog’s comeback tour, its path back to relevance. In 2017, the group hired a full-time communications director for the first time since 2014.”

Alex Gangitano, “Success Stories: Creating a More Diverse Capitol Hill,” Roll Call:

“Some offices on Capitol Hill make an extra effort to reflect the diversity of America. And while the lawmakers they serve might get the credit, the office directors in charge of hiring are the ones who make it happen.”

Bruce E. Cain, “The Future of Political Parties in Three Movements,” The American Interest:

“Count me as one who is sure that there are deeper issues at play but unsure as to how they will actually play out in the long run.”

David Faris, “This is the laziest Congress in history,” The Week:

“Republicans are conducting a genuinely audacious experiment in non-governance. Since the passage of their unpopular tax cut in December, the GOP hasn’t accomplished a single thing of note, and seems to be operating on the premise that anything they or their donors actually want to do will be received so poorly by voters that it might further endanger their already-vulnerable majorities in both chambers.”

John Patty, “What the farm bill’s failure says about congressional function,” Vox:

“The vote on the 2018 farm bill demonstrates how at least two forces are stymieing congressional policymaking: polarization both between and within the party caucuses. Indeed, these forces are so strong right now that even what used to be near consensual business is fraught. It wasn’t always this way.”