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Speaker Welch says Republicans are using House rules to slow down process: “The games stop today”

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Illinois

* Background from yesterday…

Illinois’ House speaker faces a lawsuit after Democrats voted to eject nine members who refused to follow the chamber’s mask rule.

After three days of debate about the House rules requiring masks, temperature checks and social distancing, state Rep. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, motioned to eject members that weren’t wearing masks per the House rules. […]

“Every minute we waste talking to you all while you over there whining about wearing a mask, those people are still suffering and need your help,” Collins argued. “So do your job and comply with the rules of this House. If not, go remote. Simple.”

* Some more background from yesterday…

The Democratic-controlled Illinois House pushed through a new legislative watchdog on Thursday over objections from Republicans who charged that the majority party skirted the law to install its hand-picked candidate.

Michael McCuskey, a retired Democratic judge who served on the state and federal benches, was approved as the new legislative inspector general on a near-party-line vote Thursday in the House after a straight party-line vote a day earlier in the Senate. […]

Members of a bipartisan ethics panel deadlocked along party lines over naming Pope’s replacement, with each side accusing the other of obstruction.

* Speaker Chris Welch rose to speak near the end of the McCuskey debate…

Let’s not hide behind a process argument. We know what you mean by process. You know that means ’slow everything down.’ Let’s slow everything down and grind it to a halt, like some of have said in the press, in those press conferences that you hold.

Let’s slow everything down, like we saw here today. And yesterday. When we know it’s committee deadline week. And we’re here on the floor arguing about House rules that have been in place for two years. Arguing about something as simple as putting on a mask to protect the health and wellbeing of everyone in this chamber. Why are we arguing about masks today? Slow everything down to bring this place to a halt.

Let’s slow it down, even on something as monumentally important as filling the role of the legislative inspector general, even if an exceptionally qualified jurist is brought before us. You heard it from Rep. West. This impasse should have never happened. You can bemoan the process, even while you ignore your own sides’ culpability in that process because you certainly can’t stand up here and deny Judge McCuskey’s qualifications. Every single person that spoke praised Judge McCuskey. He’s an honorable man.

Sadly, our best efforts for four months, four months, process has failed. Because as you said in the media, you want to bring it to a screeching halt. As you use our rules here, every single time we’ve come here over the last 13 months. Slow everything down. Let’s get to work. Time to act is now. The games stop today.

We’ll see today if he can back up his words when the House convenes at noon.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 9:31 am

Comments

I’d argue it’s just as much about grandstanding as delay, but whatever.

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 9:41 am
I hope he follows through. It’s time to put these cry babies in their place once and for all. If they won’t be constructive then push them completely out of the way. I wouldn’t work with them on one single thing.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 9:43 am
Good for the speaker. Time to move on and govern.

Comment by Tired teacher Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 9:46 am
As a nominal Republican good for the speaker. These guys get elected to work for the people get to work. If you are in the minority learn to deal with it. If you don’t like being in the minority get better candidates. And if what I see become the Republican candidates get ready to be a really tiny minority

Comment by DuPage Saint Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 9:51 am
Give ‘em what they deserve Mr Speaker- absolutely nothing.

Keep the door open so if they make a reasonable attempt to act like adults, that opportunity is always there. Until then, absolutely nothing.

Comment by Lt Guv Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 9:51 am
Sounds good.

Now, walk it like you talk it, Welch.

Comment by Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 9:56 am
Speaker and the Dems would have been better served to have just ignored the mask stuff and not picked the fight.

They’ve effectively burned a session week on this, and for what? What swing voter is going to support the Dems because they made Dan Caulkins wear his mask?

Comment by well… Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 9:57 am
The problem with Trumpism is that there is not much in the way of coherent policy. It’s all about performative complaining and blaming. “We don’t like _____” only goes so far; at some point there needs to be some policy propositions. It seems like the Republicans have nothing to put forward some ideas. Such as an alternative budget, a plan to address crime (”we support police” is not a plan), a plan to fix infrastructure, etc.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 9:58 am
==They’ve effectively burned a session week on this==

Not really. The House floor wasn’t going to do much this week anyway.

Frankly, everyone wins this way. The Dem majority gets to look strong for their base, the Republican crazies get to look like martyrs for theirs. It’s all theater, on everyone’s part, but that’s part of the game.

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 10:00 am
===What swing voter is going to support the Dems because they made Dan Caulkins wear his mask?===

What swing voter is going to support the GOP because Caulkins refused to wear a mask?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 10:00 am
Process means slowing everything down? Then why have rules of procedure? Why bother enacting such rules? The super majority can follow the rules of procedure they enacted and stop complaining about them.

Just asking in general.

Comment by Louis G Atsaves Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 10:02 am
==What swing voter is going to support the GOP because Caulkins refused to wear a mask?==

Swing voters are (probably) going to support the GOP because of the national political environment.

Comment by well... Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 10:17 am
=== The super majority can follow the rules of procedure they enacted and stop complaining about them. ===

Louis, just curious, what do you think should happen when a member refuses to follow those rules? Representative McCombie refused to comply yesterday. Or is it only the super-majority that has to follow the rules?

Comment by vern Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 10:18 am
===national political environment.===

Now include abortion.

(Sigh)

In 8+ months, I dunno what the National mood will be with all things swirling

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 10:20 am
=Swing voters are (probably) going to support the GOP because of the national political environment.=

And if you assume that’s the case, these guys refusing to wear masks isn’t going to help them outside their base.

Comment by The Velvet Frog Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 10:24 am
@vern, as an attorney I follow rules of procedure all day long, including court rules enacted to govern my behavior and how my cases will be processed, etc. The House chamber in order to function in a Democratic fashion also needs to follow rules they enacted to govern themselves. They can pick and choose at their own peril which rules they enacted they will abide by.

If a rule no longer works, there are procedures in place for amending or changing the rules.

The alternative is what Rich posted in this section today, and it doesn’t reflect positively on the people creating such friction in both examples.

Comment by Louis G Atsaves Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 10:56 am
Mr. Speaker - tough talk for someone who didn’t deliver votes from your own members in JCAR this week.

Comment by Lincoln Lad Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 11:12 am
===Let’s slow it down, even on something as monumentally important as filling the role of the legislative inspector general, even if an exceptionally qualified jurist is brought before us.===

Not sure the LIG is monumentally important. That office historically has been ineffective.

Both sides should focus on real monumentally important stuff like public safety (think crime rate increase in IL).

Comment by Tombrady Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 11:21 am
@Louis, I think I see the confusion here. You seem to think the Speaker was threatening to violate the rules, when he was actually threatening to invoke existing rules and make changes/exceptions based on majority votes. That’s very different from Rep. McCombie’s actions yesterday. For the chamber to function in a democratic fashion, the minority has to follow rules and laws they did not vote for. McCombie chose not to comply.

Comment by vern Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 11:38 am
=Swing voters are (probably) going to support the GOP because of the national political environment.=

Swing voters are called that because their votes are unpredictable. I am a swing voter (i.e. Independent), and I will not support the GOP because of the national and state political environment.

Comment by Steve Polite Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 11:40 am
== It seems like the Republicans have nothing to put forward some ideas. Such as an alternative budget, a plan to address crime (”we support police” is not a plan), a plan to fix infrastructure, etc==

Exactly. They also could have put forward an alternative map but chose not to. They love to complain but when it comes time ti offer alternatives, we get nada.

To see the HGOP proposals, you need to look up HB0000…. A blank sheet of paper.

Comment by low level Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 12:13 pm
“Mr. Speaker - tough talk for someone who didn’t deliver votes from your own members in JCAR this week.”

I am so disappointed that the Governor was not supported by the Democratic leaders in keeping the mask mandate in schools. The pandemic is not under control. So why pretend that it is under control? Maybe they don’t know the difference.

Comment by Enviro Friday, Feb 18, 22 @ 1:58 pm