Outgoing Kansas Congressman Tim Huelskamp didn’t let his lame-duck status keep him from singlehandedly gumming up the works this week in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Huelskamp, a firebrand conservative from Kansas who lost his primary on Aug. 2, slowed down the legislative process in the House on Tuesday by objecting to 19 bills his own party had fast-tracked for simple voice votes.
Voice votes enable members to call out yes or no to approve legislation considered uncontroversial.
From his seat in the back of the House chamber on Tuesday, Huelskamp objected to each bill, one by one, and asked for roll call votes instead.
The parliamentary maneuver irked many of his colleagues because it meant they had to cast ballots in person, a time-consuming process that Republicans had hoped to avoid.
Huelskamp’s objections had the potential to add hours to the schedule. In the end, GOP leaders had to move the bulk of votes that had been scheduled for Tuesday to Wednesday.
Jon Meadows, a spokesman for the congressman, said in an email that Huelskamp’s actions had been prompted by concerns about transparency.
Meadows said the congressman decided to make his move after a quick review appeared to show that the House had scheduled the most fast-tracked votes in one day for the entire 2015-2016 congressional calendar.
“Americans deserve better than for congressional leaders to decide late on a Friday to suddenly place 49 bills on the calendar,” Meadows said. “With no clear, public criteria for selection of these bills from among thousands of others, Americans at least deserve the transparency of knowing how their member of Congress votes on these bills.”
Huelskamp has said he is angry with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., for undermining his primary campaign against obstetrician Roger Marshall.
Ryan’s office declined to comment.
Lindsay Wise: 202-383-6007, @lindsaywise