Texas Democrat sworn in to House, shrinking GOP margin to 1 vote

[In It to Win It]

Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas), a former Harris County, Texas, attorney, was sworn in as a member of the House on Monday after winning the special election runoff for the late Rep. Sylvester Turner’s (D-Texas) seat last week.

“It’s been more than 330 days since the people of the 18th Congressional District had representation, had a voice in Congress,” Menefee said after being sworn in.

“When this body took on important votes about whether to cut [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)] benefits, about whether to make it more difficult to access Medicaid, important issues, this district had no voice in Congress, so this one is for the 18th.”

Turner died in March of last year at the age of 70, leaving his seat empty for close to a year.

With Menefee now a member of Congress, House Republicans are facing an even tighter margin of error for votes. The House now stands at a 218-214 split, in a time of unease among Republicans in the lower chamber directed toward Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and President Trump. The already beleaguered Speaker can now only afford to lose one Republican vote.

The government is also currently in a partial shutdown, with Johnson on Monday expressing a positive outlook on the House approving a funding package to end the partial shutdown in spite of demands from conservatives.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/texas-democrat-sworn-house-shrinking-010956760.html

[Jersey Devil]

1. 2 votes makes it a tie

And a tie means whatever has been voted on has failed to pass

[newdeal2]

4. They don't have to vote with the Dems

They could vote present and it still passes.

[yourout]

2. So if they could somehow flip one seat right now it would flip the majority and Johnson would be out as speaker?

[karynnj]

6. No, it is now 218 to 214

If you flip one it is 217 to 215. The margin is then narrower, but Johnson is still speaker.

There are 3 vacant seats. We will hopefully keep the NJ seat. The CA seat is in a very red area, but who knows after the Texas state race. The third is the MTG seat, which was red enough to elect her. If this were a normal year, those three races would be two for them one for us, resulting in 220 to 215.

If we were to win CA and NJ, it would be 219 to 216, which is closer than it is now. ( If we won the super red GA district, it would be 218 to 217. THEN a switch could change who is speaker. Note 3 unlikely things need to happen - winning CA, winning GA and having someone switch.)

[Scrivener7]

3. You CANNOT tell me there are not three republican reps who have something in their past they don't

want the world, or their wife, to know.

Really, Dems. It's time for a little Michael Corleone. I know that sounds facetious, but it's anything but. Get someone out there digging and find this.

[samsingh]

5. isn't there a 4 seat difference?

[edhopper]

7. Yes

but if one Rep votes with the Dems, it is 217 to 215. 2 votes. If two do it is 216 to 216 a tie and the vote doesn't pass.
I see it as a 2 vote margin.

[samsingh]

8. makes sense

[leftstreet]

9. Why did Johnson swear him in so quickly?

It took almost 7 (?) weeks, media attention and lawsuit threats before he'd swear in Grijalva from AZ

[Mysterian]

10. Seems like they can always count on a couple Democratic votes

I wish Mr. Jeffries would get a handle on that.