Auchincloss: Speaker vote shows GOP learned nothing from midterms
Rep. Jake Auchincloss was sworn in for his second term in Congress this week, but not before some drama on the floor of the House of Representatives.
It took 15 votes to elect a new Speaker of the House, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California.
That was the longest process in more than 160 years.
Auchincloss, who represents much of Bristol County, Massachusetts, said the lengthy delay indicates to him Republicans still haven’t learned from the midterm election results. The GOP gained a narrow House majority in November.
“The House GOP has learned nothing,” Auchincloss told ABC6 News Saturday. “We had a midterm election in November in which Americans soundly rejected Trump extremism. What does Kevin McCarthy do in his first week of the 118th Congress? He walks in and he grovels to his extreme MAGA flank in rolling out concessions and rules changes that are so egregious that in the final hours there was almost a fist fight between the moderate and extreme wing of his own party.”
Auchincloss is referring to Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers confronting Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz while being restrained by colleagues Friday night.
Auchincloss said he hopes to work in bipartisan way on issues like climate, health care, and energy costs now that the new Congress has been sworn in.
“I’m going to have my hand extended,” Auchincloss said. “I want to hit singles and doubles on clean energy investments and climate action, because we can’t sit still for two years just because we’re in the minority. I want to work on lowering health care and housing and energy costs for my constituents.”
By: Matt Couture
Source: ABC 6 Providence