As the House eventually gets round to debating and voting on the two Articles of Impeachment, you may well notice that curiously time seems to dilate in much the same way as it does round a massive black hole…particularly when votes are called.
Long time CSPAN viewers know that when the person in the Speaker’s chair announces a recorded vote and gives a time limit of five or fifteen minutes, it is very rare that the actual voting time ends exactly on the time allotted and very often will take 2-3x the given time.
That’s why the first fifteen minute vote of the day on a motion to adjourn put up by the Republicans actually took over 35 minutes (i.e. the “Time Remaining” counter sat at 0:00 for over twenty minutes!).
I was surprised that Mr Hoyer’s turfing of the the privilege motion vote which was the second delaying tactic only took about 22 minutes when the fifteen minute vote was called.
There’s a reform we should all get behind…five and fifteen minute votes mean exactly that. You don’t make it in time, you don’t get counted.
Sadly, the rules allow members to register tardy votes on motions that were already decided up to five legislative days after the vote.
And also watch out for requests to “revise and extend their remarks”…that means anything said for the cameras is irrelevant and can be markedly different when they land in the Congressional Record also within five legislative days.
Now we’re up to the third delaying tactic by the Minority Whip on a point of order against the rules package on the actual debate on the Articles now being debated…the Speaker Pro Tem just politely told him to bugger off.
Now begins the debate on the rule itself. This is actually the most important thing they will do as the report and legislation from the rules committee (the “rule”) governs everything that will happen on the floor.
The Republicans can’t block the rule or the adoption of the Articles. Everyone already knows this outcome is preordained but it will still take 10-12 hours to do something.
Welcome to Congress! 🙁