Prevailing view seems to be that House is all but frozen 'til it elects a speaker. That might be politically true & possibly interpretation of H. parliamentarian. But “parliamentary law” offers MC-elects procedural flexibility. Could elect temp speaker to ensure 1/6 EC vote count succeeds.

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Seems to me that Johnson and allies (which is almost the entire conference!) want people to believe the House would be frozen because it's a powerful reason for dissenters to shut up - and Dems also want people to believe it because it emphasizes chaos.
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Agree! Just think it's important to make plain these are essentially politically-shaped pathways & needn't foreclose technically possible alternatives. True, we expect the chair to follow parliamentarian's advice/precedent. But majorities *could* appeal to change course-- for better or for worse 🤓
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Oh, yes, not disagreeing at all with you.
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Nor with you 🤓
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We could be in a similar place to the all-consuming 🤓 2023 debate over powers of acting speaker McHenry after House booted Speaker McCarthy: Many congressional scholars interpreted McH's powers as far more expansive than did the House parliamentarian. GOP/Dem deference to H. parls ruled the day.
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Details & context (2023 v 2025) differ of course: Replacing McCarthy mid-year vs electing new speaker before House has adopted its rules. But predicament is the same: What is technically vs politically possible in light of (likely) small-c conservative advice from parliamentarian and MC deference.
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TBC I've not seen reporting on what House parliamentarian might be advising party leaders wrt protracted spkrship election bleeding (figuratively!) into 1/6 EC vote count. But 2023 reminds: parliamentarians prefer not to rock the procedural boat. Potentially limits plasticity of leg institutions
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lol, just let the clusterfuck begin, ffs...
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so the parliamentarian does do things to republicans too, neat!
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