The Hitchhiker’s Guide as to why tensions are running so high right now on Capitol Hill
The House of Representatives has now been in session for its 10th consecutive week, however tensions are arguably at an all time high.
The former Speaker elbowing a member who voted to oust him from the Speakership in the kidneys.
A former MMA fighter who is now a senator challenging a leader from the Teamsters to a fight on the dais in a hearing room.
A House committee chairman calling a rank-and-file member a "Smurf" at a committee hearing.
There’s a reason tensions are boiling at such a high level.
The House is now in session for its 10th consecutive week. Such a stretch without a recess is extraordinary. Especially when the House has wrestled with an unprecedented situation as evicting the Speaker and two potential government shutdowns.
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Pressure is also mounting over the war in the Middle East, aid to Israel and what could happen to Ukraine.
Members are also raging about an effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. And there could be an Ethics Committee report later this week on Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.). The House could wrestle with expelling Santos as early as this week. The House has only expelled five members in history.
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Moreover, there are lots of questions about why House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is able to get away with an interim spending bill – yet that cost former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) his job.
The reason? Look no further to the elbow McCarthy doled out to Burchett.
Burchett voted to remove McCarthy from the Speakership.
Frankly, some members will tell you they never trusted McCarthy.
"He did stuff like (elbowing Burchett) to us all the time," said one House Republican to Fox. "Only behind the scenes."
In short, there was always a cohort of Republicans who just never liked McCarthy. They like Johnson better. Hence, the reason McCarthy was ousted was personal. It was not over policy or legislative strategy.
