{"id":36394,"date":"2023-01-07T09:40:55","date_gmt":"2023-01-07T16:40:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/colorados-lauren-boebert-ken-buck-cast-crucial-votes-for-kevin-mccarthy\/"},"modified":"2023-01-07T16:40:55","modified_gmt":"2023-01-07T16:40:55","slug":"colorados-lauren-boebert-ken-buck-cast-crucial-votes-for-kevin-mccarthy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/colorados-lauren-boebert-ken-buck-cast-crucial-votes-for-kevin-mccarthy\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado\u2019s Lauren Boebert, Ken Buck cast crucial votes for Kevin McCarthy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rep.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., votes present during the 14th vote in the House chamber as the House meets for the fourth day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington on Friday. (Alex Brandon\/Associated Press)<\/span>Alex Brandon<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

After four days and 15 roll-call votes, U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy got help from two Coloradans to become speaker of the House.<\/p>\n

McCarthy, a California Republican, secured the position leading the chamber in large part because of U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Garfield County Republican, who tried to block McCarthy from taking power through the 13th vote. On the 15th and final vote, however, which ended just after midnight Saturday in Washington, D.C., she was one of six Republicans who voted \u201cpresent,\u201d narrowly handing McCarthy the speaker\u2019s gavel.<\/p>\n

The \u201cpresent\u201d votes weren\u2019t factored into the 216 votes McCarthy needed to win.<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, of Windsor, returned to Washington on Friday night after missing five votes Thursday and Friday to return to Colorado for a nonemergency medical appointment to vote for McCarthy in the final two rounds and helping him cross the finish line<\/p>\n

Boebert was one of the leaders in a group of 20 far-right GOP representatives who thwarted McCarthy\u2019s bid to lead the House for four days. They instead voted for a handful of others to become speaker, including former President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

Boebert blocked McCarthy\u2019s bid on the 14th vote by casting a \u201cpresent\u201d vote along with Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, leaving McCarthy one vote shy of becoming speaker. Four other Republicans who opposed McCarthy voted for other candidates.<\/p>\n

But on the 15th tally, with the other McCarthy dissenters joining Boebert and Gaetz in voting \u201cpresent,\u201d McCarthy became speaker.<\/p>\n

The delay in appointing a speaker of the House marked the first time in 100 years that more than one vote was necessary to select a leader for the chamber, highlighting sharp divisions among House Republicans that are expected to linger over the next two years.<\/p>\n

Boebert wasn\u2019t the only Coloradan, however, who played a role or was affected by the four-day saga. The holdup also delayed the swearing in of Colorado\u2019s two new members of the U.S. House, Democrats Yadira Caraveo and Brittany Pettersen.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at how Colorado\u2019s eight U.S. House members handled the situation:<\/p>\n

Boebert played a central role in resisting McCarthy<\/div>\n

The impasse began Tuesday, the first day of the 118th Congress, with McCarthy\u2019s objectors, including Boebert, talking to the media.<\/p>\n

The Colorado congresswoman was front and center, saying McCarthy had rejected a deal that would have earned her vote and the votes of her far-right allies.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere we are being sworn at instead of sworn in,\u201d she said. \u201cI have been working every day to unify the Republican Party for the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n

McCarthy received between 201 and 203 votes on six roll-call votes held Tuesday and Wednesday, always short of the 218 he needed.<\/p>\n

After voting for candidates other than McCarthy a half-dozen times, Boebert sparred with Fox News host Sean Hannity on his Wednesday night show.<\/p>\n

\"Incoming
Incoming House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., holds the gavel on the House floor at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, early Saturday. (Andrew Harnik\/Associated Press)<\/span>Andrew Harnik<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cI asked you a simple question, congresswoman,\u201d Hannity said as he pressed Boebert about when she would drop her opposition to McCarthy. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m getting an answer from a liberal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boebert also went on MSNBC on Wednesday night, where she admitted she hasn\u2019t spoken with McCarthy in recent days. She claimed many of her colleagues were \u201ccheering us on silently.\u201d The congresswoman said she wasn\u2019t interested in voting for McCarthy\u2019s No. 2, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think that I could support any current leadership,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I believe that many of my colleagues feel the same way. We need a change in leadership. We want to fundamentally change the way Washington, D.C., operates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boebert cast five votes for other candidates on Thursday and three on Friday before her final two \u201cpresent\u201d votes. Boebert didn\u2019t explain why she dropped her opposition to McCarthy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a long week in D.C. and the pressure has been intense, but it had to be done,\u201d Boebert tweeted early Saturday. \u201cThe 118th Congress will be one that does the business of the American people, not the special interests and lobbyists. This week was about making that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

She and Gaetz went on Hannity\u2019s show about 90 minutes before those Friday votes. Both were coy about how they\u2019d vote.<\/p>\n

Boebert and Gaetz joined Republican Reps. Andy Biggs and Eli Crane, of Arizona; Bob Good, of Virginia; and Matt Rosendale, of Montana, in voting present on the final vote.<\/p>\n

\"Rep.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., talks to Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., right, after Gaetz voted \u201cpresent\u201d in the House chamber as the House meets for the fourth day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington on Friday. (Alex Brandon\/Associated Press)<\/span>Alex Brandon<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The Coloradan talked throughout the process about wanting a guaranteed House floor vote on a bill instituting term limits for member Congress as one of her demands. Others in the far-right blockade wanted changes in House procedural rules, rather than policy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is sort of like reality TV politics, where you just get famous by doing outrageous things and drawing attention to yourself,\u201d said Jennifer Victor, a political scientist at George Mason University who studies Congress. \u201cBecause this faction that\u2019s holding up the speaker\u2019s vote, they don\u2019t even really seem to want anything. They\u2019re mostly drawing attention to themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buck and Lamborn stuck with McCarthy<\/div>\n

The other two Republicans in Colorado\u2019s congressional delegation \u2013 Buck and Doug Lamborn of Colorado Springs \u2013 stuck with McCarthy throughout the impasse.<\/p>\n

Buck drew attention Wednesday when he suggested to Politico and CNN that McCarthy should either cut a deal or withdraw from the race. He also joked that serving drinks at a caucus meeting might help Republicans break the stalemate.<\/p>\n

Buck maintained his support for McCarthy through the eighth vote on Thursday, however, then missed three more Thursday votes and two Friday votes for a nonemergency medical appointment in Colorado.<\/p>\n

He returned for the 14th vote and voted for McCarthy. Buck voted for McCarthy during the 15th and final vote, too.<\/p>\n

Lamborn never wavered in his support for McCarthy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot let personal politics place the safety and security of the United States at risk,\u201d he said in a statement Thursday.<\/p>\n

How the Democrats handled the situation<\/div>\n

\"Rep.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., talks with Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., as a small child sleeps after the House adjourned without electing a new speaker during opening day of the 118th Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday in Washington. (Andrew Harnik\/Associated Press)<\/span>Andrew Harnik<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

All of the Democrats in the House repeatedly cast their votes for speaker for U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat, nominated Democratic leader Jeffries as speaker on Thursday, one of the 15 times he was nominated during the impasse.<\/p>\n

The other Democrats in Colorado\u2019s congressional delegation found ways to pass the time.<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Centennial, posted on Twitter on Wednesday that he had put on a new track suit and was getting a drink. U.S. Rep.-elect Pettersen, D-Lakewood, realized Thursday that she\u2019s the first member of Congress named Brittany.<\/p>\n

And Friday, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, of Denver, posted a photo of Colorado\u2019s five U.S. House Democrats smiling together on the House floor.<\/p>\n

But Rep.-elect Caraveo, D-Thornton, expressed frustration in a Friday afternoon tweet.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis dysfunction is a disservice to the American people,\u201d she wrote. \u201cMy constituents sent me here to do a job. The madness has to stop so we can get to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

No speaker means postponed swearing in for two new Colorado members<\/div>\n

Caraveo and Pettersen\u2019s families traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to see the two women be sworn into office. It didn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n

Pettersen\u2019s husband and son returned to Colorado on Wednesday night, while Caraveo\u2019s family left Friday.<\/p>\n

In fact, none of the 435 U.S. representatives in the House could be sworn in until the speaker was selected. They took the oath after 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning in Washington.<\/p>\n

That delay presented other issues.<\/p>\n

Crow went on CNN on Friday morning to talk about how the impasse affected national security. He and other Intelligence Committee members didn\u2019t have access to classified briefings because they hadn\u2019t been sworn in. Crow said he couldn\u2019t get into the White House when he took a group there because he hadn\u2019t been sworn in.<\/p>\n

The speaker typically sets budgets for congressional offices in early weeks, so the vacancy in the office created uncertainty over staffing levels. Providing services to constituents was complicated by the delay, especially for new representatives. And if the delay had continued, payment for lawmakers and their staff might have been delayed as well.<\/p>\n

Committees also haven\u2019t been appointed, slowing initial legislative work.<\/p>\n

One Coloradan did get sworn in on Tuesday as scheduled. Over in the Senate, Vice President Kamala Harris swore in returning Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, greeting him by trying to emulate his deep voice.<\/p>\n

Impasse has implications for the next two years<\/div>\n

Many fear McCarthy\u2019s historic failure to secure the speaker\u2019s gavel reflects how chaotic the U.S. House will be over the next two years of GOP control of the chamber. It\u2019s also possible that McCarthy loses his job since one of the concessions he made to secure enough votes to become speaker makes it easy for other members of Congress to try to oust him.<\/p>\n

Victor said the concessions McCarthy agreed to \u2013 making it easier to challenge the speaker, giving certain members committee assignments and more \u2013 will impact action in the House.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis whole thing is about power,\u201d she said. \u201cThey want the current establishment to have less power. They want themselves to have more power, and they want to make sure that in the coming rounds of political battles they can get more power.\u201d<\/p>\n

The House will have to consider budget bills, defense bills and likely an increase to the debt ceiling to avoid a government shutdown. A balanced budget, which some of McCarthy\u2019s opponents are demanding, could potentially mean deep defense budget cuts, something Lamborn and Crow would likely oppose.<\/p>\n

\"Rep.
Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., left, pulls Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., back as they talk with Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and other during the 14th round of voting for speaker as the House meets for the fourth day to try to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington on Friday. At right is Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. (Andrew Harnik\/Associated Press)<\/span>Andrew Harnik<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cThe more meaningful the vote is for the country, the greater the opportunity for creating spectacles,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

And chaos could start next week when the House resumes its business.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as the speaker vote is done, the next thing the House has to do is adopt the rules of the House so they can start operating,\u201d Victor said. \u201cBut I don\u2019t see why this same group would vote for the rules.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even once rules are in place, Victor predicted the group of Republicans will continue to detract from the rest of the House majority.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t make policy or have a legislature with people who don\u2019t agree on the rules of the game, and essentially that\u2019s how I see this faction,\u201d she said. \u201cThey don\u2019t agree on the rules of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to covering Colorado issues. To learn more, go to coloradosun.com.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

McCarthy secures spot on 15th vote<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[28,265,367],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-36394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-headlines","tag-politics","tag-u-s-rep-lauren-boebert"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36394"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=36394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}