Via ThinkProgress, Alan Grayson (D–FL) explains that the latest gag among House Republicans is to “forget” their ID cards so they can’t vote electronically during roll calls:
They’d all walk to the front of the House and, laughingly and jokingly, put their arms around each other’s shoulder like it was some kind of clownish fun. And they did this over and over to make sure every vote took half an hour.
Steny Hoyer elucidates:
Well we’ve seen a couple of instances of that. Not so much forgetting their cards, but not using their cards and voting by the cards that are available at the desk. You have to write in and stand in a long line. And very frankly, the parliamentarian himself criticized that as delaying tactics which are not countenance by the rules. Obviously, every member has the right to vote. I thought they were unfortunate because it was such a transparent effort at solely delay as supposed to giving opportunity, fair opportunity to voting to every member.
It really is like presiding over a junior high school student council meeting, isn’t it? Except a little less mature.
