Some Republicans have floated the possibility of selecting former President Trump to be the next speaker of the House, but that may not be possible under the current House rules.
“Rule 26” The trend started with X The platform formerly known as Twitter began talking about the Republican Party’s support for President Trump, replacing former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was ousted from leadership on Tuesday afternoon. It was right after. Many users pointed out that the former president may not be able to serve in Republican leadership under this provision because he has been charged with numerous felonies.
The Speaker of the House does not have to be a sitting member, but it remains highly unlikely that Mr. Trump can win enough House Republican votes to actually become speaker.
Here’s what you need to know about the rules:
What is Rule 26?
Rule 26 is included in the House Republican Conference Rules for the 118th Congress, which was approved in January.
The article states: “A member of the Republican leadership shall stand down if he or she is charged with a felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of two years or more.”
According to Rule 2, the chair is included in the definition of leadership, along with the Republican leader, the Republican whip, the chair of the Republican conference, the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, the chair of the policy committee, and the vice chair. Chairman of the Republican Conference and Secretary of the Republican Conference.
Why do some people say that Trump cannot be chairman under the current rules?
Current rules suggest that Trump cannot hold any role in Republican leadership, including chairmanship, because he has been charged with a number of felonies that carry a potential sentence of at least two years in prison. There is.
The former president faces a total of 91 criminal charges, spread across four state and federal criminal indictments. Apart from that, he is also a party to more than six civil cases.
However, it is not clear whether this rule prevents members from simply appointing him to the role. The Republican conference will meet next week to decide who should hold the gavel next.
Again, it is highly unlikely that Trump will reach the number of votes needed to be nominated for president.
Could Republicans vote to change that?
A majority of House members can vote on their own rule changes, but changes are rarely made during the session.
Rules are usually determined at the beginning of each session, in January.
Who is supporting President Trump as speaker candidate?
Rep. Troy Neals (R-Texas) announced late Tuesday that he would file papers to nominate Trump for the role.She said she would also support Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Rep. Greg Steube (R-Florida). President Trump as Chairman.
McCarthy announced Tuesday that he would not run for Congress again, leaving the door open for other Republicans to jump into the ring.
Although these Republicans have expressed support for President Trump, the former president has said he has no interest in serving in the office.
“No, I don’t think that’s what I wanted. A lot of people bring it up. It’s brought up all the time,” he said last March. “No, that’s not what I want to do. I’m going to see what’s going on and then do something else. No, that’s not what I’m interested in.”
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