American tax officials

Chapter 376 The Speaker's Throne

"The numbering issue is a matter for the committee, not my responsibility. Please forgive me for being unable to help!"

Hearing Josh's words of refusal, Church narrowed his eyes, then changed the subject, saying, "Don't be so quick to refuse, Josh. This might be a good opportunity for you."

"Opportunity? What does that mean? What does it mean?"

"Then I'll be frank. Don't be fooled by your seemingly glamorous position as the House Majority Whip; in reality, due to your political stance, you've been suppressed by Nancy for many years. Am I right?"

Upon hearing this, Josh's expression darkened slightly.

Because what the other party said was indeed true. Due to his ties with Freemasonry and his ambiguous relationship with the Illuminati of Ansar, he had not been well-regarded by the proud Speaker of the House, Nancy, over the years, and it was inevitable that he would be suppressed.

However, to be fair, he is still a shrewd politician.

These days, both the IRS and the Freemasons are fighting tooth and nail for seats in the House of Representatives.

Of course, as always, the three major groups tried to win him over with various sincere efforts.

However, given the current unclear situation and his shrewd nature, he has remained silent, belonging to the group within the institute that is still wavering.

Although he did not express his opinion, he was very clear about the situation.

Take Church, for example. These days, he's been attacking capitalists and supporting and drafting legislation on tax havens in other states. It's clear he's become an IRS agent...

Or rather, it's that person, David, who has now been promoted to Inspector General of the IRS!

Now that the committee is holding this bill in check, Church has come here to find him. What does this mean?

This means that Church wanted him to step in and resolve the committee issue, but he also wanted to bring him into his camp!

Ignoring what Josh was thinking, Church continued, "Whistlemaster Josh, you're a smart man. You should know very well that in the current situation, given your position and status, it's impossible for you not to take sides, unless you don't want to win this midterm election. So I'll be blunt."

"I've reached an agreement with Inspector David; he will help me win this midterm election, and perhaps even advance further!"

"Perhaps I can act as a go-between and get him to make the same promise to you. With his abilities, if he truly helps you, you'll not only win the midterm elections, but with your current prestige, it's not impossible for you to even take over the position that Nansi stepped down from!"

"If this really happens, from now on you will no longer be suppressed by anyone, and you will become the BOSS of the House of Representatives!"

"How about it, would you like to consider it?"

Church was clever; he knew that a shrewd old fox like the other party couldn't be swayed without sufficient incentives.

So he directly offered the huge temptation of becoming the Speaker of the House.

He refused to believe that the other party, after serving in the House of Representatives for so long, was not at all unmoved by the throne!

"The three major corporations have already spent tens of billions of dollars in various states, and they are constantly lobbying many members of Congress. This is no joke. I doubt this bill you've drafted will pass..."

Although Josh seemed somewhat hesitant, it would be a lie to say that he wasn't tempted at all by Church's words.

Although Nancy is advanced in years and has promised that this will be her last term as Speaker of the House, she has made it clear after stepping down that she supports the majority leader of the House to take office.

The majority leader, who was already ranked higher than him as a party whip in the Senate, and with the support of Nancy, the most prestigious elder in the Senate, his chances of winning were naturally many times greater than his.

Therefore, if this party whip wants to become the boss of the House of Representatives, his chances of winning the election are definitely not high.

If we just rely on enduring, who knows how long it will take to finally secure the Speaker's seat in the parliamentary election?

But then again, as the saying goes, a soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier.

The same applies to a politician.

Having worked his way up in Congress for so many years, he's now at the position of party whip. How could he not want to take the speaker's seat?

But because of the existence of Nanxi.

Although the three major groups promised him some benefits, they would not risk offending Nancy and the majority party leader for his sake.

So even if he were to declare his allegiance to the Freemasons or the Ansar right now, these groups would absolutely not help him ascend to the throne.

Because in the eyes of these people, Nanxi has been involved in Congress and politics for so many years, and not only has his protégés and former subordinates all over the world, but his political capital is also extremely strong.

And what about himself?

To put it bluntly, he's just a junior compared to Nanxi.

Considering all of the above, if he wants to win the position of Speaker of the House after Nancy steps down, the only way is to take an unconventional approach.

The so-called "taking an unconventional approach" naturally means siding with David, who is now truly capable of helping him!

However... if you really take sides, it won't be fun if you lose!

Not only is he at risk of losing his current position as party whip, but it's not impossible that he could even be expelled from Parliament!

"Josh, those so-called three major conglomerates are just paper tigers now. What can they do besides throwing money around?"

"But money isn't necessarily everything, at least not in Inspector General David's eyes!"

"The Freemasons are powerful enough, aren't they? But look at how they've been repeatedly defeated by Inspector General David!"

"And isn't the Illuminati powerful enough?"

"In the end, Inspector General David led a carrier fleet to block their doorstep, and they had no choice but to hand over the money!"

"And as far as I know, Inspector General David now has more than 218 votes in his hands."

"Even if you don't join, it doesn't matter to us. It's just a waste of some time."

"But if you join us, you'll be one of us!"

"What do you think would happen if he used those votes to help you in the speaker election?"

"Come on, Josh, life is a gamble. If you're too timid to place your bets, how can you expect to win?"

Church was able to rise to the position of senator because he was naturally a master of rhetoric, so when he realized that the other party was making a move, he didn't hesitate to deliver the finishing blow.

Are you sure your current vote count exceeds 218 votes?

Josh could hardly believe it.

"I swear to God, I'm not lying to you!"

"Okay, but I'd like to talk to him in person, is that alright?"

Having received this assurance, Josh, who was already tempted, was indeed persuaded.

Yes, life is a gamble. If you don't gamble, how can you win what you want?

Moreover, Inspector General David has indeed gained considerable influence, and with the backing of the IRS and enough votes, the chances of this bill passing are quite high.

Another important point is that if this tax avoidance bill is successfully passed with his participation, it will be a significant achievement for him!

With his shrewd mind, a little analysis led him to the conclusion that it was worth taking the gamble.

"That's natural."

Upon hearing this, Church smiled, then picked up the phone and dialed David's number.

Meanwhile, in the office of the Inspector General of the State Taxation Administration.

David was still discussing some things with his department staff.

Just then, my phone rang.

He picked it up and saw that the caller ID showed it was Church, so he quickly answered it.

"Speak, Congressman Church."

"Inspector General David, I've reached an agreement on my end. Whip Josh wants to see you, and I'm taking him there now!"

"Alright, let's do it now!"

"Okay, let's go right now!"

……

More than half an hour later, Church brought Josh to the IRS and into his office.

"Inspector General David, Whip Josh has arrived!"

David, seeing Josh enter behind Church, stood up, extended his hand, and said, "Josh Whip, it's been a while, how have you been?"

"Thanks to Inspector General David, everything is alright..."

The two shook hands, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then sat down.

Church then spoke first: "It's like this, Inspector General David, given the current situation, Whip Josh's opinion is that he could consider siding with us, but..."

As he spoke, Church paused deliberately, and Josh, standing beside him, showed a hint of nervousness on his face.

"In that case, let's just say it!"

With the addition of such a "fierce general," not only was the issue of the legislative number resolved, but the chances of the bill passing naturally increased, so he certainly wouldn't refuse.

However, David was also well aware that the other party was not a philanthropist and would not unconditionally join them in fighting the Freemasons.

In other words, it's nothing more than an exchange of benefits!

Of course, given the other party's role and status, he wouldn't be stingy with his offers unless they were too outrageous.

"Josh Whip, why don't you take the lead?"

David hadn't previously mentioned helping Josh secure the speaker's position; it was Church who brought it up on his own initiative in an attempt to persuade Josh. To avoid upsetting David, he could only try to shift the blame.

Josh was a little annoyed by the other party's attempt to shift the blame, but there was no way to pursue the matter further. He could only say, "The midterm elections have just started, and what I mean is... I'd like you to help me 'mediate' in this, as long as I can successfully keep my current position as party whip..."

"Or... after I take over the Speaker position left by Nansi, I will be able to control Congress. And if you want to pass any bills in the future, it will be much more convenient for you if I control the House of Representatives."

Josh truly lives up to his reputation as a cunning old fox who has been navigating the political arena for many years.

He insisted that this matter was in his own best interest, but he made it sound like it was for David's convenience.

David wasn't stupid; he naturally figured out what was going on.

With Josh's own prestige and his intervention, retaining his position as party whip in this midterm election shouldn't be a problem.

However, the implication in the other party's words was clear: after Nanxi stepped down, he wanted Nanxi's help in getting her the position of speaker, which would be quite difficult.

The Speaker of the House is, after all, the third most powerful position in the United States, a position coveted by various forces, and taking it over will certainly involve a bloody struggle.

However, if we put ourselves in Josh's shoes, if he were to win the Speaker of the House and gain control of Congress, it would indeed be very beneficial for him and the IRS.

At least we won't be held back by legislative coding issues like this again!

Thinking of this, David stared intently at Josh and said, "So, you really want the speaker's position?"

Caught off guard, even the shrewd Josh felt a little flustered. After hesitating for a moment, he had a sudden inspiration and replied, "If I were to become a member of parliament, issues like this legislative coding problem would definitely not arise again!"

"Yes, you're absolutely right."

Josh's answer truly reflected David's feelings.

However, upon reflection, one thing also amused him.

Because he was a time traveler, in his memories of his previous life, regarding the midterm elections of that year, after Nancy stepped down, the minority party in the House of Representatives, for some unknown reason, performed exceptionally well and defeated the original majority party in the House of Representatives, becoming the new majority party in the House of Representatives.

As the leader of the minority party, their leader, Maxey, naturally rose to become the leading candidate for speaker.

But at this moment, something shocking happened that stunned the world and left countless people speechless.

Maxie, who thought victory was assured, surprisingly failed to garner 218 votes after the first round of voting.

In other words, he cannot directly assume the position of speaker.

There was no other way, so Congress could only launch a second round of voting, then a third, a fourth, and even a fourteenth round, but still failed to obtain enough votes.

It wasn't until the 15th round that Maxie, after a tremendous amount of effort, finally achieved his goal.

But this fulfillment of his wish made him feel as disgusted as if he had swallowed a fly.

Because he broke a record in American history for the most "difficult birth" of a speaker of the house, which naturally made him extremely embarrassed.

Ultimately, why would Maxie, who has already become the majority leader in Congress, create such an embarrassing record?

The reason is very simple, just two words: Nanxi!

Although Nansi has made it clear that she is stepping down, her connections and political capital remain.

Watching his chosen successor being sidelined naturally enraged him.

That's why Maxie ended up in such a sorry state after all her actions!

I wonder if this situation will ultimately occur if I decide to help Josh run for speaker?

This is a question worth considering!

"Inspector General David, I know this blockade of your bill by Congress is making you all very upset, but don't worry, since we're going to have to choose sides, I know we have to show our loyalty. So leave this to me, I'll handle it for you!"

Having decided to side with David, Josh made solemn promises in order to gain David's trust.

(End of this chapter)