Congress is killed. What happens?
       |           

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 29, 2024, 12:49:19 AM
News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more

  Talk Elections
  General Discussion
  Constitution and Law (Moderator: World politics is up Schmitt creek)
  Congress is killed. What happens?
« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2
Author Topic: Congress is killed. What happens?  (Read 6636 times)
bmaup1
Rookie
**
Posts: 49
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« on: March 30, 2017, 12:18:09 PM »

Though it seems pretty impossible, if both houses of congress was killed what happens? Seriously, in London that awful guy got pretty close to their congress. Whats to say something like that doesn't happen here. If that was to happen here and both houses were killed, what happens to the US? We can't possibly make laws before their re-elected. And if we do, it would be the executive branch taking over both powers. Making it able to just rule over the governmental level on federal grounds fully? Or do we just go without making new laws, without being able to declare war, or what ever other powers the congress holds for how ever long emergency elections take?
Logged
Mr. Reactionary
blackraisin
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,784
United States


Political Matrix
E: 5.45, S: -3.35

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2017, 12:46:44 PM »

Governors would appoint temporary senators and schedule special house elections. A worse scenario is where a very small number remain alive. While the self imposed rules define how large a quorum must be, there is no constitutional rule. This would be an interesting supreme court challenge to see if 3 hypothetical surviving house members could change the house quorum rules and then pass bills as a 3 person body.
Logged
MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!
Kalwejt
Atlas Institution
*****
Posts: 57,380


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2017, 12:48:51 PM »

Governors would appoint temporary senators and schedule special house elections.

Some states doesn't permit senatorial appointments (like Oregon or Wisconsin).
Logged
Mr. Reactionary
blackraisin
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,784
United States


Political Matrix
E: 5.45, S: -3.35

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2017, 12:53:00 PM »

Governors would appoint temporary senators and schedule special house elections.

Some states doesn't permit senatorial appointments (like Oregon or Wisconsin).

I had no idea until now. According to NCSL, 36 States permit gubernatorial appointments.

http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/vacancies-in-the-united-states-senate.aspx
Logged
Virginiá
Virginia
Administratrix
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 18,856
Ukraine


Political Matrix
E: -6.97, S: -5.91

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2017, 03:09:32 PM »


It is not inconceivable to see the other remaining states quickly passing bills to allow appointments (assuming it isn't baked into the state constitution). I'm sure Oklahoma would make haste if the only ones left in Congress were Bernie Sanders, Liz Warren, Sherrod Brown, Nancy Pelosi and Donna Edwards. Likewise for Oregon if only Cruz, Paul, Gohmert, etc.

Also worth noting is that even among the states listed as having special elections for the senate, most still allow interim appointments, although with a plethora of caveats. When you factor that in, it seems like the vast majority of the states could at least somewhat quickly send a new Senator.
Logged
bmaup1
Rookie
**
Posts: 49
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2017, 04:47:46 PM »

That is so fascinating! I can't wait to share this with my teacher! Thanks you guys.
Logged
Figueira
84285
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 12,175


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2017, 02:20:44 AM »

Governors would appoint temporary senators and schedule special house elections.

Some states doesn't permit senatorial appointments (like Oregon or Wisconsin).

I had no idea until now. According to NCSL, 36 States permit gubernatorial appointments.

http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/vacancies-in-the-united-states-senate.aspx


If you scroll down you'll see that all but 5 states have gubernatorial appointments.
Logged
Middle-aged Europe
Old Europe
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,178
Ukraine


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2017, 07:29:53 AM »

Seriously, in London that awful guy got pretty close to their congress.

He would have destroyed Parliament with his car?
Logged
136or142
Adam T
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,434
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2017, 11:39:54 AM »

the 'documentary' "Mars Attacks!" dealt with this very situation. Cheesy
Logged
FairBol
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 2,807
United States


WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2017, 12:03:45 PM »

Though it seems pretty impossible, if both houses of congress was killed what happens? Seriously, in London that awful guy got pretty close to their congress. Whats to say something like that doesn't happen here. If that was to happen here and both houses were killed, what happens to the US? We can't possibly make laws before their re-elected. And if we do, it would be the executive branch taking over both powers. Making it able to just rule over the governmental level on federal grounds fully? Or do we just go without making new laws, without being able to declare war, or what ever other powers the congress holds for how ever long emergency elections take?

Not sure if you know this, but every year during the State of the Union Address, one Cabinet member stays behind in a secure location.  This is in case, God forbid, the unthinkable ever happens.  The selected member is known as the "designated survivor". 

The plan is that if Congress (during the speech) is ever destroyed by a catastrophic attack (and the president, VP, and Speaker of the House all killed, assumedly), this Cabinet member then automatically becomes the President of the United States.  As such, he gets the job of rebuilding the federal government.  The ABC US show "Designated Survivor" deals with one such scenario. 
Logged
All Along The Watchtower
Progressive Realist
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 15,426
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2017, 02:47:25 PM »

Kiefer Sutherland goes from earnest academic do-gooder to the President who can Do What It Takes to save America from the Forces of Evil.
Logged
#gravelgang #lessiglad
Serious_Username
Jr. Member
***
Posts: 1,615
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2017, 03:36:01 PM »

Kiefer Sutherland goes from earnest academic do-gooder to the President who can Do What It Takes to save America from the Forces of Evil.

Including a Montana senator who looks suspiciously like Jon Tester.
Logged
Anti-Bothsidesism
Somenamelessfool
Jr. Member
***
Posts: 718
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #12 on: July 12, 2017, 03:37:16 PM »

apology for poor english

when were you when corndress dies?

i was vote demagogue when cort ring

‘congress is kill’

‘no’
Logged
TheSaint250
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,067


Political Matrix
E: -2.84, S: 5.22

P P
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #13 on: July 12, 2017, 08:57:54 PM »

Kiefer Sutherland goes from earnest academic do-gooder to the President who can Do What It Takes to save America from the Forces of Evil.

Including a Montana senator who looks suspiciously like Jon Tester.
That guy pisses me off so much.

The tv guy, not Tester
Logged
#gravelgang #lessiglad
Serious_Username
Jr. Member
***
Posts: 1,615
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #14 on: July 12, 2017, 09:32:13 PM »

Kiefer Sutherland goes from earnest academic do-gooder to the President who can Do What It Takes to save America from the Forces of Evil.

Including a Montana senator who looks suspiciously like Jon Tester.
That guy pisses me off so much.

The tv guy, not Tester

Right?! That character is just so smarmy and seems like such a know-it-all.
Logged
President Johnson
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 28,592
Germany


Political Matrix
E: -3.23, S: -4.70


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #15 on: July 14, 2017, 05:39:16 AM »

Governors would appoint temporary senators and schedule special house elections.

Some states doesn't permit senatorial appointments (like Oregon or Wisconsin).

I had no idea until now. According to NCSL, 36 States permit gubernatorial appointments.

http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/vacancies-in-the-united-states-senate.aspx


States could change their laws and allow the governor to appoint a senator. But that would require that state lawmakers quickly meet, pass a bill that goes into effect immediately after being signed.
Logged
○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└
jfern
Atlas Institution
*****
Posts: 53,614


Political Matrix
E: -7.38, S: -8.36

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #16 on: July 14, 2017, 05:49:45 AM »
« Edited: July 14, 2017, 05:51:27 AM by ○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└ »

I could see Hawaii winning the race to have the first elected representatives. Ed Case was elected just 25 days after Patty Mink was posthumously re-elected. I don't know if any other state would bother with a special election after the regular November election to the unexpired house term.
Logged
The Mikado
Moderators
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 21,678


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #17 on: July 14, 2017, 05:43:10 PM »

Problem is, even with 70-odd appointed Senators within a few weeks, you'd still have a dysfunctional House of Representatives without a quorum for months and months.
Logged
🦀🎂🦀🎂
CrabCake
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 19,192
Kiribati


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #18 on: July 14, 2017, 06:31:05 PM »

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/RS21089.pdf

http://www.aei.org/publication/what-if-congress-were-obliterated/

These links may be useful. Personally I feel there would be a long period of martial law and a possible breakdown of constitutional law, especially if there are simultaneous hits to other branches of government; before congress is fully reconstituted.
Logged
Kingpoleon
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 22,144
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #19 on: July 14, 2017, 06:48:52 PM »

I could see Hawaii winning the race to have the first elected representatives. Ed Case was elected just 25 days after Patty Mink was posthumously re-elected. I don't know if any other state would bother with a special election after the regular November election to the unexpired house term.
That would be interesting if Case got back in Congress.

Would both surviving House members get seniority? What about the former Representstives who run for office?
Logged
Vosem
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 15,625
United States


Political Matrix
E: 8.13, S: -6.09

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #20 on: July 16, 2017, 06:34:35 PM »

I think it would be a reasonable fudge if a majority of the House of Representatives were killed that whatever survivors happened to be out of town would be able to rewrite the rules to declare themselves to be a quorum, or even a majority (amusingly the likeliest reason for someone to be absent is medical treatment, so we could be stuck with a disproportionately old, sick House...). Much of the regular business of the House would ground to a halt but urgently necessary legislation could still be passed.

The same would be true for the Senate in the immediate aftermath of the attack, though it would quickly be refilled, since most states permit Governors to appoint whoever they want and there would be a clear both national and state interest to fill those seats as quickly as possible. Without much time to interview possible replacements, I could see the new Senate quickly fill up with Carte Goodwin/Jeff Chiesa types (convenient, trustworthy lackies of incumbent Governors) until the next elections.
Logged
FairBol
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 2,807
United States


WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #21 on: November 25, 2017, 08:43:49 AM »

Though it seems pretty impossible, if both houses of congress was killed what happens? Seriously, in London that awful guy got pretty close to their congress. Whats to say something like that doesn't happen here. If that was to happen here and both houses were killed, what happens to the US? We can't possibly make laws before their re-elected. And if we do, it would be the executive branch taking over both powers. Making it able to just rule over the governmental level on federal grounds fully? Or do we just go without making new laws, without being able to declare war, or what ever other powers the congress holds for how ever long emergency elections take?

I'm unaware of any general contingency plan released to the public that addresses this.  What I do know about is the "State of the Union/Congressional Address" plan.  Every year, the president is constitutionally required to give an address on the state of the union.  Before doing this, the president usually names a "designated survivor".  This person's role is to stay behind, just in case the unthinkable happens.  The person named is usually a lower-level Cabinet official.  In case of an attack where Congress, the president, and the VP were all taken out, this "designated survivor" would automatically become President of the United States. 
Logged
FairBol
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 2,807
United States


WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #22 on: November 25, 2017, 08:44:50 AM »

Wait, I answered this question before.  Never mind! Smiley
Logged
Pennsylvania Deplorable
Jr. Member
***
Posts: 532


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #23 on: November 25, 2017, 09:44:18 PM »

Governors would appoint temporary senators and schedule special house elections. A worse scenario is where a very small number remain alive. While the self imposed rules define how large a quorum must be, there is no constitutional rule. This would be an interesting supreme court challenge to see if 3 hypothetical surviving house members could change the house quorum rules and then pass bills as a 3 person body.
They would still need the Senate (what's left of it + the quickest appointments) and the president. The president would likely take on emergency powers to deal with what would obviously be a major crisis. After some rushed special elections, Congress could get back to work and remove whatever emergency powers were given to the president. It would take many years to really bring politics back to normal though.
Logged
wxtransit
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 5,106


Political Matrix
E: -0.26, S: 2.43

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #24 on: November 25, 2017, 11:05:54 PM »

Well...this would be interesting.
Logged
Pages: [1] 2  
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Terms of Service - DMCA Agent and Policy - Privacy Policy and Cookies

Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines

Page created in 0.051 seconds with 13 queries.