After returning from their end-of-year break, Congress was supposed to reconvene last week. Members expected to vote for the House Speaker when they walked to the floor, but that wasn’t how it worked out. Former President Donald Trump joined the drama as members struggled to choose a leader so they could start their session.
Before finally succeeding, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) lost the vote more than a dozen times to become Speaker of the House. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) even proposed Trump as Speaker at one point.
Although it might sound silly to nominate and elect Trump as Speaker at first, it’s not out of the question.
The qualifications for each position in the House of Representatives, including Speaker, are outlined in Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution. “The House of Representatives shall elect its speaker and other officers,” it states.
All done. There are no requirements to be House Speaker. This means that lawmakers may choose anybody they choose to lead the lower chamber if they can agree.
Even though it would have been fascinating to watch Trump take the House, it won’t be happening this time. McCarthy finally prevailed in the 15th round of voting early on Saturday morning. He now holds the coveted leadership position.
