THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES narrowly defeated a resolution aimed at blocking further attacks on Venezuela after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., held the poll open for a lengthy period to secure a final vote against it.
The House voted 215–215 on the measure. Under House rules, a tied vote is a defeat.
Johnson’s decision to keep the vote open for more than 20 minutes drew jeers from Democrats and an angry response from Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., one of the measure’s supporters.
“Close the vote! Come on! Seriously!” Ryan said. “Come on! This is serious! This is serious shit! Close the vote!”
Ryan’s request was ignored and the vote was held open until Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, who had been campaigning for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas, arrived in the chamber to cast the decisive vote against the measure.
The slow-moving vote in the House had threatened to spoil a signature achievement for Johnson, who minutes earlier had secured passage of an appropriations package that would prevent another government shutdown.
Johnson’s day will come for his collaboration with Trump. It may take a few years to work its way through the courts after real leaders return to power, but he’ll eventually be wearing his favourite colour behind bars every day for the rest of his life: Trump’s Arsehole Orange.