Is this the most creative solution to the ongoing speaker chaos yet?
California Democrat Rep. Brad Sherman suggested filling the vacant speaker of the House seat with former President George W. Bush as GOP lawmakers attempt to get the lower chamber of Congress back on track after nearly a month of chaos. (RELATED: US House Gives Jordan A Third Chance At The Speakership)
“He could come back,” Sherman told the “Forbes Newsroom” podcast. “Obviously, I'm not a real fan of how the Iraq War went, but I would think that any reasonable Republican would be somebody that Democrats could work with – if it was part of a system where you didn't have five of the most extreme Republicans blocking important legislation and saying, ‘If you bring that to the floor for a vote, we'll knock you out of your Speakership.'”
Sherman called Jordan “among the worst speakers” for the House but countered it's good politics for Democrats because of the Ohio Republican's links to former President Donald Trump.
Still, Sherman asserts he would choose Bush or Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), both of whom he called “traditional” Republicans.
“It's not the person, it's the program,” Sherman said. “And if the program is to say that if a bill passes, the Senate will get an up or down vote on it in the House. And that would be more important to me than the personality.”
Although Bush is not a sitting Member of Congress and hasn't held elected office since 2009, his status does not necessarily disqualify him from holding the position as the U.S. House of Representatives does not require the speaker to be a member of the lower chamber – although elected officials have consistently voted for one.
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) is serving as speaker pro tempore in the short term until an official speaker is elected.
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