Thursday, January 3, 2013

Boehner Re-Elected as Speaker; Nine Republicans Defect in Vote

The Hill reports:

Boehner won a bare majority in a vote that saw nine Republicans vote for other GOP members, and several others who abstained from voting or voted "present." Two years ago, Boehner won all available 241 GOP votes. 
In a vote that opened the 113th Congress, Justin Amash (R-Mich.) voted for Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho). Freshman Reps. Jim Bridenstein (R-Okla.) and Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) and Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) all voted for Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), but Cantor himself voted for Boehner. 
Reps. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) and Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) voted for outgoing member Allen West (R-Fla.). Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) voted for former Comptroller General David Walker. Speakers of the House do not have to be members of the House, although they all have been.
Rep. Tom Massie (R-Ky.) voted for Justin Amash (R-Mich.), and Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) voted for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
Note: Conservative/libertarian  Kerry Bentivolio, the new Representative for Michigan's 11th congressional district voted for Boehner. I don't have a problem with this since Boehner was going to win and there is nothing here that will directly impact "the people." It will probably help him a little in dealing with the leadership.  That said, where it counts, on issues like taxes, Bentivolio has been strong.

1 comment:

  1. They were three votes away from going to second ballot. Who knows what would have happened then.

    Oh well, business as usual at Gangster Central.

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