by Kerry Dougherty
It’s a good, old-fashioned clusterfart in our paralyzed House of Representatives as Republicans fruitlessly bicker over a replacement for Speaker Kevin McCarthy who was deposed recently by eight GOP agents of chaos without a plan for what comes next.
Early on, it appeared that Louisiana’s Steve Scalise would be the consensus candidate to replace McCarthy, but when his bid failed on a floor vote, it was the more conservative Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan who got the nod.
Yet Jordan failed to reach the magic 217 needed to lead House Republicans. When a second vote was called he lost again.
Many in Virginia’s 2nd District were shocked to see Rep. Jen Kiggans, who flipped the district from blue to red in 2022, among the “no” votes.
The backlash was swift and nasty. My emails and Twitter feed were full of livid Republicans saying they were “done” with Kiggans.
“What’s the difference between Kiggans and Elaine Luria?” one wanted to know.
For one, Kiggans doesn’t vote in lockstep with Nancy Pelosi, I replied.
“She’s another Lynn Cheney,” Tweeted a disgruntled Republican.
“Jen just voted against Jim Jordan for Speaker. Everyone needs to remember this day and never vote for this traitor again.”
Traitor?
Calm down, please. You may not agree with this former helicopter pilot and Navy vet but she is anything but a traitor.
Control yourselves, you’re sounding crazy.
After her first no vote, I thought Kiggans was simply holding out to get a pledge from Jordan not to shut down the federal government next month. Remember, a few weeks ago he voted against keeping government open.
She’d get the promise, I figured, and then support the new leader.
In a hasty Tweet I said that her second no vote made her look like an obstructionist.
I deleted it after I listened to her.
Kiggans has sound reasons to worry about what would happen to the military with Jim Jordan as Speaker. American troops who are preparing to deploy to the Mideast could find themselves in harm’s way while their dependents are left without an income if Jordan and the hardliners shut down the federal government as they’ve threatened to do.
That would be unthinkable.
Look, Kiggans campaigned hard to flip this district. During the campaign she accused Elaine Luria of canoodling with far-left Nancy Pelosi. (That was accurate, by the way.)
Should Kiggans support an extremely conservative Republican for speaker, her opponent could use the same tactic to try to defeat her next year.
Republicans from districts Biden won in 2020 are on a tightrope. They don’t have the luxury of taking uncompromising conservative stands like their colleagues in bright red districts.
Kiggans could lose in 2024 if independents desert her. In 2022 she won with just 51.63% of the vote.
She knows what she’s doing.
And she has a message for those who are harassing her over her position on the speakership.
On Wednesday, Kiggans tweeted: “I will never regret standing up for the military and for doing what’s right for Virginia’s Second District. I was a helicopter pilot in the United States Navy … threats and intimidation tactics will not change my principles and values.”
Republicans need to come together and elect a speaker. Soon. Kiggans favors electing N.C. Rep. Patrick McHenry as temporary speaker with expanded powers to get the House back on track during these perilous times.
It’s not ideal, but it’s practical and will get Congress moving again.
Do it, Republicans.
Republished with permission from Kerry: Unemployed and Unedited.
