Chaos at the Capitol (again): Kevin McCarthy Ousted as Speaker, Government Shutdown Still Looming and How All This Impacts Black and Brown Communities

The Removal of McCarthy as Speaker of the House

The Capitol is (once again) in chaos with (former) Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy being removed from the position last week. It’s important to note that this is the first time the Speaker has been removed in U.S. history.? As unprecedented as this is, it is far from shocking, considering that McCarthy’s brief tenure was contentious from the beginning.? Even before the 118th Congress convened on Jan. 3., opposition for the California lawmaker started to brew when he faced a hint of opposition from several ultra-conservative GOP lawmakers during the selection process for GOP leader last fall.? Then came the vote for speaker, in which McCarthy continued to lose ballot after ballot until he finally won on the 15th after basically conceding away all his power. This was also the longest and most chaotic Speaker election since the Civil War.

After several battles with ultra-conservatives over the debt ceiling, among other issues, the final sticking point for the far-right was McCarthy’s handling of the appropriations process ahead of a potential government shutdown.? With government funding levels set to expire on Sept. 30 and zero spending bills passed in the House (the Senate passed its own spending bill in the summer), McCarthy ultimately decided to bring a continuing resolution, or stopgap measure, to the House floor for a vote that would extend government funding to mid-November. This continuing resolution needed Democratic support to pass, which it inevitably did on September 30th to extend the government funding through November 30th.? This vote sealed his fate, as he was removed as Speaker less than a week later.

Who will be the next Speaker?

As of now, it is still uncertain. Jim Jordan of Ohio has emerged as a candidate, but given his extremist views and participation in the insurrection, his pathway is uncertain. He lacks the necessary votes and has already lost two ballots as of publication. It will be a very sad day if he wins his next vote.

The possibility of a government shutdown is still very real

As the House of Representatives tries to elect a new Speaker, a government shutdown still looms.? Any GOP candidate for Speaker is going to have to address the 45-day reprieve from a government shutdown that was McCarthy’s undoing and what to do in the extremely likely event that House Republicans cannot reach an agreement among themselves and then with Democrats on a broad range of spending and policy topics.? Absolutely nothing has changed in this equation other than a painfully vivid demonstration of the danger of showing any reasonableness within Republican leadership.

How does a government shutdown impact our communities?

If Congress fails to reach a deal by November 30th, leading to the fourth shutdown in the last decade, Black and Latinos will inevitably feel the brunt of these political antics. For example, Black workers comprise 13% of the total U.S. population but nearly 20% of the federal workforce, so they would disproportionately feel the impacts of potential furloughs.? Since fewer Black Americans are in the higher ranks or “grades” in the government, they will struggle more than their white counterparts if their income is missed.?

Outside of the federal government, Blacks and Latinos will be most impacted by the loss of programs designed to address food insecurity such as SNAP and WIC, even if for a few weeks.? U.S. officials say Small Business Administration loans may be delayed and up to 10,000 children could lose access to Head Start, the federal program for preschool children from low-income families.? It’s important to note that Latino children account for 37% of current Head Start enrollment, and Black children account for 27%. ?Meanwhile, more than 1,400 community health centers, which provide most of the healthcare services for Black and Brown neighborhoods, many of whom are federally funded, could cut staff hours, lay off workers, or reduce services.?

For the sake of all Americans, but especially members of our community, we hope that Congress can put the country's needs over their own power plays.

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Hispanic Heritage Month

Happy Belated Hispanic Heritage Month! The impact of our Hispanic/Latine/LatinX brothers and sisters can not be forgotten. Their history is complex and can't be lumped into one category. Remember that they are not a monolith, and let us celebrate the many ways they show up. Salud!

Storytime

Last week, we hosted our monthly LinkedIn Live, Healing Her Way: How to Recover from a Toxic Work Environment to a Place of Peace. If you missed it, check out the replay on my page. There were so many gems from that session. Here's one of the main takeaways.

Know that your steps are ordered no matter what or who you believe in. If you find yourself in a toxic or hostile work environment, take a moment to look deep within. The answers are inside of you. Don't succumb to imposter syndrome or allow workplace stress to make you ill. Seek out a therapist or friends, or find a community of Black women to support you.

We are better when we are together!

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In Other News

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The Perry Report newsletter is a monthly LinkedIn newsletter dedicated to stimulating conversations on race, equity, leadership, and everything in between to enrich, educate, and transform lives. The newsletter is authored by Dr. Venessa Marie Perry, organizational psychologist, author, consultant, executive coach, and speaker. Dr. Venessa’s work focuses on partnering with people and organizations that want to advance racial equity through systematic, institutional, community-based, and societal change. If you want to learn more about our work and how we can assist you in organizational development, leadership development, racial equity, diversity, and inclusion, visit us?here or book a FREE 30 minute discovery call to learn more.

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