Area U.S. representatives weigh-in on House speaker stalemate, constituency services
As the U.S. House of Representatives struggled to elect a new speaker this week, local members of Congress were in a waiting mode as their staffs still performed some of their constituency services.
Newly-elected federal officials cannot be sworn in until a new speaker of the House is chosen, and Friday marked the fourth day that the chamber embarked on the quest to elect one.
The first 13 votes did not produce a new speaker, and the House reconvened at 10 p.m. Friday to have its 14th vote as negotiations continued late into the night.
Alexa Vance, communications director for Congressman-elect Guy Reschenthaler, said as far as she was aware everything was status quo for the representative of Pennsylvania’s 14th Congressional District that includes Washington, Greene and Fayette counties.
“I haven’t heard of any interruptions to any constituency services in our office,” Vance said Friday. “I’m not aware of any issues that have been raised.”
Reschenthaler’s office on South Main Street in Washington was staffed Friday and people were being welcomed into the office.
Zoe Bluffstone, spokesperson for Congressman-elect Chris Deluzio, said there were some services that could take place this week. Deluzio, representative of the 17th Congressional District that includes southwestern Allegheny County, won election to the open seat in November for his first term in office.
“The congressman-elect’s office is staffed, the phones are ringing, and the Deluzio office is already working to help the people of Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District with their federal agency needs,” Bluffstone said. “However, until a speaker is elected and the congressman-elect is officially sworn in, it appears that the IRS, for example, will not provide updates on casework back to the office.”
}She blasted the Republicans for their inability to select a speaker this past week despite holding a majority in the House.
“The Republicans’ chaotic failure to elect a speaker of the House should never impact the job that a member of Congress was elected to do: to serve the people of their district. For Congressman-elect Deluzio’s part, his office will keep answering phones, talking to constituents, and doing whatever we can to serve the people of Western PA. The House Republicans need to get their act together so that we can do our jobs.”
A representative for Congresswoman-elect Summer Lee, who won her first term for the 12th Congressional District that includes Pittsburgh and parts of Allegheny County, said she didn’t think any constituency services were taking place at this time.
“I don’t believe we’re authorized to do that until she’s actually sworn in,” said a member of Lee’s staff.