The House of Representatives is on the verge (if not already over the edge) of self-destruction as a Constitutional representative body.
When a vote is taken, and then thrown out by the presiding leadership (the Donks of course, at this time) and re-recorded as having an outcome opposite to the original total, then the integrity of Constitutional representation has taken a bullet in the back of the head.
In a massive flare-up of partisan tensions, Republicans walked out on a House vote late Thursday night to protest what they believed to be Democratic maneuvers to reverse an unfavorable outcome for them.
The flap represents a complete breakdown in parliamentary procedure and a distinct low for the sometimes bitterly divided chamber because members of one party have rarely, if ever, walked off the floor without casting a vote.
The rancor erupted shortly before 11 p.m. as Rep. Michael R. McNulty (D-N.Y.) gaveled close the vote on a standard procedural measure with the outcome still in doubt.
Details remain fuzzy, but numerous Republicans argued afterward that they had secured a 215-213 win on their motion to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving any federal funds apportioned in the agricultural spending bill for employment or rental assistance. Democrats, however, argued the measure was deadlocked at 214-214 and failed, members and aides on both sides of the aisle said afterward.
Some additional information noted at NRO:
JUST PLAIN CHEATING [David Freddoso]
They just replayed the whole mess from the House last night on C-Span. I spoke to Novak and he doesn’t remember anything quite like this happening before. Pretty outrageous, really. It is about as blatant an abuse of power as you can have in a legislative body, to cheat on a vote total. (Emphasis added)
The Chief thinks that Freddoso understates this.
Republicans were playing a game that the minority usually plays  you have your guys vote with the other side, then have them change at the last minute. This forces the majority to come up with votes quickly. Although on close issues they would rather spare their endangered members in swing districts and give them a free vote, the majority leadership then has to tell their endangered members to bite their tongues and vote the party line.
Two Democrats changed their votes to ensure that the measure would fail, but then three Republicans did the same. The vote total was 215-213 in favor of the Republican motion to recommit. At that moment, Rep. Mike McNulty ( D-N.Y.), who was in the Speaker’s chair, gavelled out the vote, thinking that it was a tie and the motion had failed. But he had miscounted  the motion had actually passed. The Democrats were only able to change this by cheating and changing more votes after the gavel.
Although they did not do so for hours, the House clerk’s office finally did put a record of the vote online this morning, with the measure failing by a vote of 216-212.
What’s to say. Just a bit worse than before, so no big deal? NOT!
America’s at that awkward stage. It’s too late to work within the system, but too early to start shooting the bastards.  Claire Wolfe