Guest opinion: Evan McMullin and Senate committees
by Gordon Jones
Full disclosure: I am not a registered member of any political party. I voted for Evan McMullin for president in 2016; I have never voted for Mike Lee and do not expect that I will vote for him this year. My interest in writing this article is to communicate facts about which I have some expertise, not to score political points.
The Rules of the United States Senate do indeed say, as Evan McMullin repeatedly notes, that âEach Senator shall serve on two and no more committeesâ¦,â but as the end of this citation hints, this is a limiting rule, not an empowering one. It is not self-executing. No Senator may appoint himself or herself to any committee and no Senator can compel anyone else to put him or herself on any committee. Senators are elected to committees by vote of the entire Senate, acting on nominations brought forward by resolutions from the two party leaders. This process is part of the procedural brush-clearing that takes place on the first day of every new Congress....
Unless either Chuck Schumer or Mitch McConnell puts Evan McMullinâs name on a resolution containing a list of Senators nominated to a specific committee or committees, Evan McMullin will not be confirmed by the full Senate to membership on any committee. As McMullin would be a sitting Senator, one could imagine him moving to amend one resolution or the other by adding his name. One cannot imagine the adoption of such an amendment. And besides, by seeking to amend either the Schumer or the McConnell nominating resolution, McMullin would be declaring a party preference, negating his Quixotic campaign to remain unaligned.
Evan McMullin is correct that no sitting Senator has never been left without committee assignment. But that is because no sitting Senator has ever refused to caucus, for organizational purposes, with one of the political parties. (Read More)
News Releases
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Forward Party endorses 5 state and local candidates in Utah
The Forward Party today announced its endorsement of 5 candidates for state and local office in the Beehive State. The Forward Party has endorsed a cross-partisan coalition of local, state and federal leaders who refuse to be defined by their party affiliation and who are committed to putting the needs of their communities above partisan demands. The endorsed candidates are: Lannie Chapman â Salt Lake City County Clerk, Ladd Johnson State House D46, Ammon Gruwell â State House D15, Kimberly Wagner â State Senate D7, and Miles Pomeroy â State House D49. (Read More)
Economic contributions and health impacts of family caregiving
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