McCarthy could be facing nightmare Speakership

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Rep. Kevin McCarthy has finally been elected House Speaker after four days of unsuccessful voting.
• McCarthy had to make several major concessions to gain back the votes he needed.
• The California Congressman said the process only made him a more effective leader.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy finally fulfilled his House Speakership dream on Saturday morning after a four-day standoff. As Speaker, he becomes second in line to the Oval Office behind Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

But with several GOP House members rejecting the current leadership, McCarthy could be facing a difficult tenure.

The Republicans only had a narrow majority of 222-212 after the midterms, which gave the right-wing holdouts more leverage. This affords McCarthy the loss of no more than four votes to enact legislation. Conservative members have repeatedly called him out, as well as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, for compromising with Democrats on big bills.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was among those who kept opposing McCarthy, argued, “We do not trust Mr. McCarthy with power, because we know who he will use it for. And we are concerned that it will not be for the American people.”

McCarthy refused to surrender and pushed through 15 rounds of voting as a group of 20 right-wing GOP members rebelled against his Speakership bid.

The California congressman had to make several major concessions to earn back the holdouts and secure his position, raising concerns that a divided party might further complicate agreements, particularly when discussing the debt limit. A long standoff could bring the government to a default.

One concession allows any of the 435 members of the House to force a vote for his removal at any time. Another allowed his critics key committee positions.

But the new Speaker dismissed concerns that the deal weakened his authority. He told reporters that the deal was a “very good” agreement that “empowers the members.”

He added that the long process only taught him how to be a more effective leader. He said, “Because it took this long, now we’ve learned how to govern. So now we’ll be able to get the job done. At the end of the day, we’re going to be more effective, more efficient and definitely government is going to be more accountable.”

Conservatives started opposing McCarthy after he agreed that former President Donald Trump bore responsibility for the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack. He later renewed his support for Trump.

Trump endorsed McCarthy’s bids for re-election and Speakership. On Saturday, he sought credit for the congressman’s new position. On Truth Social, he shared footage of McCarthy thanking him for his support, with the caption: “Thank you Kevin. It was my great honor.”

McCarthy started his Speakership campaign ahead of midterms by campaigning for over 165 candidates in at least 34 states, as well as contributing to fund campaigns.

On Friday, Rep. Mike Garcia (R) commended McCarty for being “a good man” and “a man of God” when he nominated him. “He’s a patriot,” he added. “He’s a leader who has led this conference to our current majority over the last four years. Those things are unassailable.”

McCarthy’s not to interfere in future primaries, however, as part of his concession.

Source: Reuters