It could happen if Mike Johnson doesn’t have the requisite votes & Republicans can’t otherwise agree on a new Speaker before Jan. 20. Without a Speaker, the electoral votes cannot be counted & Trump thereby formally designated the newly-elected president. So the incoming president pro tem of the Senate, 91-year old Chuck Grassley, would be next in line for the presidency. There is no chance that Alexander Haig would be in charge under this scenario.
President Chuck Grassley?
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | December 23, 2024 9:15 PM |
IF there were no speaker, wouldn't the VP step in?
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | December 23, 2024 7:32 PM |
R1, the House has its constitutional chore, and so does the Senate.
The VP has no role with the House.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | December 23, 2024 7:42 PM |
What happens is the House and Senate meet in Joint Session (in the House Chamber) and the Vice President, as President of the Senate, presides over the session. Here's an explanation from the National Archives:
"Congress meets in joint session in the House of Representatives in January to count the electoral votes. The Vice President, as President of the Senate, is the presiding officer, whose powers are limited by Federal statute to performing ministerial duties. The President of the Senate opens the votes of the States in alphabetical order, and hands them to the appointed Tellers, who announce the results out loud. The President of the Senate then calls for any objections."
So Kamala Harris will preside over this process like Mike Pence did in January 2021. The Speaker doesn't have a role. If the GOP can't get its act together to elect a Speaker, then there will probably be an acting Speaker or administrative officer who can manage the affairs of the House.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | December 23, 2024 7:51 PM |
I'm available!
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | December 23, 2024 9:03 PM |
Me too!
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | December 23, 2024 9:15 PM |