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Democratic Rep. Eric Massa will resign from Congress on Monday, only days after reports first surfaced that the freshman New York lawmaker was under investigation by the House ethics committee for allegedly sexually harassing a male staffer.
This won't help Nancys vote count for HC bills.
He was elected in 2008.
The latest culture of scandal and corruption in the democratically controlled House will not help this November.
Figures. Now his inner Republican has broken free. Of course, he is not nearly the scumbag Mark Foley was, nor the sexual deviant that Larry Craig is, and if he is resigning, its out of embarrassment.
Larry Craig just lied, while Foley had no choice as he was busted red handed.
Why can't the NY Governor (who is a Dem) just put in a quick pro-UHC appointment in there? That would be a + 1 vote for UHC.
A Governor can appoint a Senator to fill a vacancy, but can't appoint a Congressman. With a vacancy in Congress, the Governor's only real option would be set a date for a Special Election, though keeping the seat vacant until November is a possibility (due the costs involved in a Special Election) but that is unlikely.
However, even if Patterson was able to appoint someone it would not matter (providing the other three vacancies went the Special Election route rather than appointment). In order for a vote to pass the House you need 50% + 1. Typically you have 435 members of Congress, so that amount is 218. Currently, the House has three vacancies (FL-19, HI-1, PA-12) which would mean 432 members of Congress, and 217 votes needed to pass something. With the Massa resignation which will be effective Monday afternoon, you now have 431 members of Congress (with four vacancies), so now that 50% + 1 drops to 216. If an appointment were made, you would go back to 432 members of Congress and needing 217 votes to pass. So it really doesn't matter, you would have 1 more vote for HC, but you would also need 1 more vote to pass it anyway so it just cancels out.
Actually it will help with the vote count by lowering the needed count from 218 to 216. Not to mention, Massa voted against the House Bill.
In the event of a tie in the House, who breaks the tie? I know that it is the Vice President Biden in the Senate that would do this, but what about the House? Does Spk Pelosi vote?
In the event of a tie in the House, who breaks the tie? I know that it is the Vice President Biden in the Senate that would do this, but what about the House? Does Spk Pelosi vote?
You need 50% + 1 so a tie, the bill gets defeated. With his retirement you till have 431 members of Congress, so you will need 216 votes to pass it.
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