The Clerk of the House – Cheryl Johnson – gave the 118th Congress a hammer blow. They will make a prayer and the pledge, then she will announce that the certifications of the 118th Congress election have been received.
Then they will have a quorum call. This is the first vote of Congress. It’s a roll-call vote. The deputies will vote present, they must be in the hemicycle.
Next, she will announce the vacancy of Virginia’s 4th congressional district due to the death of Don McEachin.
The election of speakers: The next order of the day is the election of the President of the Chamber. Democrats will place the name of their party leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, in the nomination, and Republicans will place the name of Kevin McCarthy.
Republican Representative Andy Biggs is also expected to garner several votes in the first round.
Then they will call the role. Each member, when his name is called, will indicate the name of the person for whom he is voting. Can be any of the nominated names, their own name, someone else’s name, or PRESENT, which is not a vote at all.
The scrutineers will count the votes. The winner must have a majority of those voting for one person. The votes present subtract from this total, thus lowering the threshold for a majority of votes.
If no one receives a majority of the votes cast, there is a second ballot, and so on.
What could happen next: If McCarthy doesn’t get the votes on the first ballot, it’s possible to make a motion to adjourn, but it would take 218 votes to do so and the Democrats are unlikely to be inclined to help the Republicans in any way. either.
There is no playbook for what the chamber will do if the president is not elected on the first ballot. The 1923 vote was decided on the ninth ballot, where they continued to vote until a speaker was chosen. The 1869 Speakers’ Vote took 60 ballots over the course of two months.
This Congress can suspend the chamber, or they could continue to vote.
But no other business of the House can be transacted until this vote is completed, including the swearing in of the rest of the members. Until the Speaker’s vote is decided, the Clerk of the House is responsible for the House.
