It’s a little difficult to imagine a potential House Speaker Kevin McCarthy nipping away at the text of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union only to give it a dramatic ripping when the speech concludes.
But there are many other Nancy Pelosi precedents that have violated political norms that could be substantially more bothersome for Democrats should Republicans decide to run the House with retribution. That’s assuming Republicans meet the historical expectation of retaking the House majority.
Pelosi Rides the Democratic Majority High
As it stands now, Pelosi is the speaker of the House and she just came off a giant victory, with the passage of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act that no serious person believes will reduce inflation. Pelosi – Democratic leader in the House since 2003 and speaker from 2007 through 2011 and again since 2019 – placed a self-imposed term limit on herself as party leader as part of a deal to ensure she got another run. After agreeing to two terms, she might well have determined she should go for it all.
Pelosi also allowed herself to be cowed by the fringe progressive wing of her caucus, but in doing so, threw open the doors to what House Democrats might find problematic when they are eventually a minority – be it in 2023 or later.
Republicans Could Play With Committee Members
As House minority leader, McCarthy would almost certainly prefer that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., would pipe down, or that she not be in the House at all. Still, as happened with Iowa Rep. Steve King, it should have been the choice of the party leadership – or a bipartisan move – to suspend a member from committees.
So, it was an unusual move for Pelosi’s Democrats to oust Green from committee assignments – regardless of how fringe she is – on a partisan basis.
Many Republicans have tired of a “two wrongs don’t make a right” approach. So, a new Republican majority could remove Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the House Foreign Relations Committee for her anti-Israel rhetoric. The other members of the Squad – who won’t tone down the rhetoric in a minority – could also be removed from some or all committees for conduct the majority party deems unbecoming.
A more defensible move would be to boot Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., from the House Intelligence Committee, considering his past fling with an alleged Chinese spy. For that matter, it’s also an easy argument to boot current Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., from the committee, considering the misleading public comments he made during the Russia investigation, consistently implying he was sitting on evidence of collusion that no one else knew about.
The January 6th Committee Was a Power Play
Pelosi appointed the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the Capitol, which was presumed to be a bipartisan panel with seven democrats and five republicans. However, Pelosi vetoed two of McCarthy’s five appointments to the panel. This broke the longstanding tradition of allowing the minority party to make their own selections for the panel and Pelosi almost certainly knew this meant McCarthy would boycott the panel. Pelosi appointed two anti-Trump Republicans to call it bipartisan. And, well, it wasn’t such a bad idea politically. The capacity to conduct a prosecution with no cross-examination in hearings where the most compelling information comes from cherry-picked video snippets makes for good production value that will be emulated.
So could McCarthy appoint his own select committee stacked with only Republicans – and perhaps a complicit Democrat willing to be a token? There isn’t an equivalent to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to date. But perhaps the House GOP could go high stakes and substantive by investigating the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, the crisis on the southern border – or just go red meat and have a select committee on Hunter Biden’s business deals. Either way, the Jan. 6th committee left strong production lessons on how to run entertaining hearings.
Pelosi, recall, initially opposed impeaching President Donald Trump and publicly argued Trump, since he would never be removed, would only use impeachment to boast about his Senate acquittal. That turned out to be true by the way. Eventually, however, Pelosi caved on impeachment for the Ukraine phone call matter. It was history’s weakest impeachment, on charges of “abuse of power” and “obstruction of Congress” when Democrats couldn’t figure out a crime.
Two previous presidential impeachments, Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson, and one near impeachment, Richard Nixon, were based on alleged illegalities. Most impeached federal judges and the lone Cabinet secretary to be impeached (War Secretary William Belknap) were impeached in the House regarding alleged illegal conduct.
But the Pelosi House set a new standard, forever lowering the bar for a House impeachment.
A few Republicans have thrown the I-word around about Biden, which seems a bit far-fetched for now. But an impeachment over the Ukraine phone call would have been unthinkable for any president other than Trump.
More likely is a House Republican impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas regarding the border crisis—which could be another subject of a stacked select committee. An impeachment for an unelected Cabinet secretary would have a lower standard and should include an unwillingness to faithfully execute his duties.
The House has always been more raucous and partisan than the Senate, the supposed saucer when the heated tensions boil over in the House. Still, Pelosi blew up so many norms that put her party in an awkward position for the future.
Fred Lucas is chief national affairs correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “The Right Side of History” podcast. Lucas is also the author of “Abuse of Power: Inside The Three-Year Campaign to Impeach Donald Trump.”

Bugger off
August 19, 2022 at 8:53 am
Why would anyone bother to listen to the author given his political frame of reference? The far right minority will never rule over the majority.
Eric-ji
August 19, 2022 at 10:13 am
Never say never. Both parties have in the past been deemed on the brink of extinction yet both are still here. The norms one party eliminates for its own benefit are seized upon by the other party to its benefit later on. The Republicans will once again be ascendent and it will be entertaining to see what they do with the new norms.
The US populace, in its wisdom, doesn’t trust either party for long. One party is in power, then the other, rinse & repeat. It’s like the populace is drunk, staggering from one party to the other. Staggering Left then staggering Right. Nothing changes, either.
GhostTomahawk
August 19, 2022 at 10:40 am
Both parties are scared of the populist movement. Because it embodies the true middle of America they ignore every election cycle. Both parties rail about faux meat and potatoes issues that are more fear mongering than policy related. The every day American wants the border issue fixed. They want an energy policy that keeps fuel and energy costs low (because our economy is run on energy). And we want a fiscal policy that is sensible. Not more “tax and spend” or “cut tax and spend” governance from the spending arms of the federal reserve. This is where D and R get it wrong.
Pelosi knowing her time in the sun has ended went all in this term. Cashing in on her inside trading. Setting up her friends and allies with cash windfalls. Grandstanding on tv doing stupid junkets to Taiwan and the South pacific.
A self improved term limit was awesome. How about all of them do that.
MN
August 19, 2022 at 10:44 am
FarRight bs gets too much space where it should have been contained.
FarRight means ultra right in Europe. In other words, nazi’s… we know where that will end up.
Scapegoating anyone with different vieuws and ultimately disposing of other ideas by terror, repression and ending democracy.
Where have we seen that before? Ah yes… Russia…
Tallifer
August 19, 2022 at 11:29 am
The Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich had no problem visitng Taiwan. The author of this article lives in an unreal trumpist bubble. And he thinks that Clinton’s bit on the side was worse than inciting a mob to attack the Capitol?
Steven
August 19, 2022 at 1:16 pm
Since when did the American Working Class become ‘The Far Right?”
Dr. Scooter Van Neuter
August 19, 2022 at 1:59 pm
History will record the harm this godless, corrupt drunk has done to this once-great country. Good riddance, you pathetic POS 🙂
Scottfs
August 19, 2022 at 8:22 pm
If the Republicans take the House (which they will if they can prevent Democrats from cheating…again) they must adopt a scorch earth policy.
May I suggest following the pattern of William Tecumseh Sherman’s March to the Sea, blowing up every Democrat target in sight.