The Winston Group’s David Winston writes in Roll Call about today’s vote on Mike Johnson’s speakership:
[T]oday’s vote for speaker is just as much a test for the Republican Party as a whole — a test with two critical implications. One of the first duties of a new Congress is the certification of the presidential election scheduled for Jan. 6.
It is also a chance for the Republican majority in the House to show the American people it can govern. A repeat of the internal but very public fight that faced Kevin McCarthy orchestrated by the same cast of characters would do nothing but undercut the idea that the GOP is ready to lead.
President-elect Donald Trump has used the transition expeditiously to build expectations for action on Day 1. If there is one thing the electorate clearly wants, it is a focus on getting things done on key issues that dominated the election. A lengthy delay or anything close to it would be the antithesis to that, beginning with the process for certifying the presidential election. Failing to quickly elect a speaker would also jeopardize crucial policy and communications initiatives that will define what Republican leadership means for the country.
Any delay puts that opportunity at risk.
Read the full piece here.