Authority on U.S. Politics Available for Interviews
Political science Associate Professor John Cluverius is available as a source for reporters writing about U.S. Congress.
10/04/2023
Media Contact: Nancy Cicco, assistant director of media relations, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
The vote to oust Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy Tuesday by his colleagues may be trouble for Republicans come the next election cycle, said UMass Lowell political scientist John Cluverius, who is available for interviews.
“Voters want to see government that is actually working for them; chaos, disarray and disorganization are all political land mines. Congressional procedural fights are complicated, boring and utterly meaningless,” said Cluverius, director of survey research at the UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion.
McCarthy, of California, was stripped of the leadership position after a 216-210 vote for his removal. With it, he becomes the first speaker in U.S. history to be voted out of the job. Immediately after the vote, under House rules, U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., was named speaker pro tempore, until a new speaker is elected.
“This historic situation is inconsequential for everyday Americans. For most voters, it doesn’t matter who the speaker is, it matters what lawmakers are doing to help their constituents. The more Republicans are seen squabbling among themselves and not advancing a policy agenda, the less voters trust them to deliver,” Cluverius said.
He is available to discuss topics related to the vote, including the hard-right conservative wing of the party that drove McCarthy from the job, what McCarthy’s removal may mean for House Democrats, and the 2024 presidential election.
Cluverius is an associate professor in UMass Lowell’s political science department. To arrange an interview with him, contact Nancy Cicco.