r/politics • u/Nyktophilias • 11h ago

Possible Paywall Whistle-Blower Says Trump Officials Are Defying Court Orders on Voting by Mail

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/us/politics/whistle-blower-voting-by-mail.html?unlocked_article_code=1.91A.taLS.WoZ9faaQGFsY&smid=nytcore-ios-share
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u/HistoryAndScience 10h ago

Obviously. Even if Dems win Trump will instruct Johnson not to surrender power. This is just one part of a larger scheme

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u/CrashB111 Alabama 9h ago

Then Johnson would be arrested by capital police for trespassing.

Come the next congressional term, every sitting member of Congress in both houses is no longer a member of Congress. You are elected to whatever your term is, 2 or 6 years. And at the end of that term, you cease being a member until the new Congress is sworn in.

So if Democrats win and Johnson tries to not get out of the way, he's not a congressman anymore. He's a private citizen trespassing in the capitol building.

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u/PluginAlong 8h ago

2/3 of the Senate remains in tact though since their terms haven't ended. It's the longest serving senator who swears in the new speaker of the house once the newly formed house has elected them. The new speaker then swears everyone else in.

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u/DescretoBurrito Colorado 7h ago

2/3 of the Senate remains in tact though since their terms haven't ended. It's the longest serving senator who swears in the new speaker of the house once the newly formed house has elected them. The new speaker then swears everyone else in.

No. The House would never give a Senator authority over their chamber. On Jan 3 the term for all Reps ends. Later that same day, Representatives-elect (including reelected) meet and their first order of business is to choose a Speaker. Once a Speaker is chosen, the Dean of the House (longest serving Rep) traditionally administers the Oath to the new Speaker, but any Representatives-elect can do this (see 2 USC 25). The Dean has been elected as Speaker before, and Speakers have requested a specific Representative-elect swear them in before. The current Dean of the House is Hal Rogers (R), and he is running for reelection. But if he refuses to swear in a Democrat Speaker, any other Representative-elect can perform the task. Then the Speaker swears in the rest of the House as a group.

https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/RL/PDF/RL30725/RL30725.32.pdf

2 USC 25:

At the first session of Congress after every general election of Representatives, the oath of office shall be administered by any Member of the House of Representatives to the Speaker; and by the Speaker to all the Members and Delegates present, and to the Clerk, previous to entering on any other business; and to the Members and Delegates who afterward appear, previous to their taking their seats.

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u/PluginAlong 7h ago

I could have sworn it was the Senate who did it, but thanks for the correction.