Summary
House Speaker Mike Johnson faces growing Republican dissent over his handling of government funding, potentially jeopardizing his reelection as speaker on January 3.
Allies are urging Donald Trump to reaffirm his support for Johnson to avoid a prolonged leadership fight, which could delay certification of Trump’s 2024 election victory on January 6.
Johnson’s bipartisan spending bill, criticized by Trump, narrowly averted a government shutdown but failed to include Trump’s core debt-limit demands.
Some Republicans warn that a speakerless House would disrupt critical legislative processes, including election certification.
To clarify:
A contingent election occurs if Congress will not choose a president. This, theoretically, would only occur in the case of an electoral college tie but can also occur if Congress refuses to certify for whatever reason.
In the event both Certification and a Contingent election cannot occur by the 20th, we have an Acting President according to the line of succession.
Without a speaker, they cannot hold a Contingent Election. With a speaker, they would not need to.
But wouldn’t the Senate be empowered to pick the VP in their part of a contingent election, even if the House is still picking a speaker? And then that person would be in the valid line of succession if there is no contingent election for President by inauguration day.
The senate can theoretically do their votes to choose a Vice President. It wouldn’t matter without the House.
And while MAYBE there could be years of debate over whether the VPOTUS can be chosen without a POTUS, that ain’t happening.