A little-known congressional maneuver could block members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) from being sworn in as members of the House of Representatives next year, even if they win their elections on Tuesday. Members-elect must swear an oath to uphold the Constitution before they can become full members of the House. At the beginning of a new Congress, that oath is typically taken en masse by all 435 members, led by the House speaker.
But an argument circulating in conservative circles posits that any member-elect can challenge another member-elect's right to be sworn in, provided they have compiled evidence that that person would not uphold their oath. That would then lead to House-wide deliberations followed by a vote on whether that member-elect has a right to be sworn in. In the case of DSA members, one potential argument could be the group's platform calling to scrap the current U.S.
Constitution and draft a new one. Several DSA members and self-proclaimed democratic socialists have already won primaries across the country. SPEAKER JOHNSON REJECTS 'NONSENSE NARRATIVE' THAT GOP WILL REFUSE TO SEAT DEM WINNERS Rep.
Keith Self, R-Texas, suggested to Fox News Digital that he could invoke the maneuver. "You cannot swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution while actively working to destroy it. The oath of office is not just words you say at a ceremony.
It is an oath to our country and our fellow countrymen," Self told Fox News Digital. "The House has both the authority and the duty to ensure that anyone who takes that oath does so in good faith, without mental reservation or purpose of evasion. As DSA candidates and the Red-Green Alliance gain ground, we must enforce the Constitution as written or risk allowing people committed to replacing it to take seats of power under false pretenses." The "Red-Green Alliance" is a term used on the right to describe cooperation between far-left groups and radical Islamic organizations or operators.
"Anyone who has personally embraced the destruction of the Constitution has no business being sworn in to uphold it," Self said. GOP LAWMAKER URGES JOHNSON TO SCRUTINIZE NEW SOCIALIST LAWMAKERS' 'ACCESS TO INTELLIGENCE' According to an analysis by the Center for Renewing America, a challenge to a member-elect's fitness to take the oath of office can be followed by the House speaker asking them to step aside while the debate begins. "The objecting member should place the documentary record before the House, and the House should debate whether that evidence establishes that the member-elect remains committed to destroying the constitutional order," the group's analysis said.
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