McCarthy’s statement comes almost impossibly late to address continued deficiencies ahead of the opening of the 118th Congress on January 3rd." "Despite some progress achieved," the Freedom Caucus group wrote, "Mr.
The members also said McCarthy's proposed rule changes would still be too restrictive of members' ability to oust the speaker in the middle of the Congress. In their New Year's Day letter, they wrote that he failed to address a number of their demands, like ensuring leadership doesn’t work to defeat some conservative candidates in open primary races. In a bid to win support from a separate group of Trump-aligned House Freedom Caucus members, McCarthy did agree over the weekend to a suite of rule changes that would water down his powers as speaker.īut nine members of that group, including Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa., characterized his proposals as too little, too late. “This town desperately needs change, and if it’s a few of us who have to stand in the breach to force it, we are willing to do so as long as it takes.”Īs Tuesday's votes showed, McCarthy's troubles aren't limited to the Gaetz group. Gaetz and other McCarthy opponents held a news conference Tuesday morning insisting they are in for the long haul. Demetrius Freeman / The Washington Post via Getty Images file “So we may have a battle on the floor but the battle is for the conference and the country, and that’s fine with me.” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy speaks at the White House on Nov. “I will always fight to put the American people first, not a few individuals that want something for themselves,” McCarthy said, flanked by his supporters. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., confirmed he had “promised” those planning to vote against McCarthy that they would lose their committee positions.Įmerging from the meeting, a defiant McCarthy said he was preparing for a protracted floor fight with his opponents and showed no signs of dropping out. McCarthy’s allies, meanwhile, have threatened some of his detractors with having their committee assignments taken away, Biggs said after the meeting. “If you want to drain the swamp, you cannot put the biggest alligator in charge of the exercise.”ĭuring a 90-minute closed-door conference meeting before Tuesday’s vote, McCarthy made a fiery last-minute plea, defending his work as leader and urging his GOP colleagues to rally behind him. McCarthy because time and again his viewpoints, his positions, they shift like sands underneath you,” Gaetz told reporters before Tuesday’s vote. “It is true that we struggle with trust with Mr. McCarthy's political aspirations are now in serious doubt as that same group of intractable bomb throwers demonstrate that they are willing to go to any length to derail his speaker bid. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, even as Jordan called on Republicans to unite behind McCarthy.
But on the second two rounds, the entire group coalesced around Rep. The last time a speaker vote went to multiple ballots was in 1923, when Speaker Frederick Gillett, R-Mass., won re-election on the ninth ballot.ĭuring Tuesday's initial vote, the majority of the conservatives initially backed one of McCarthy’s chief antagonists, former Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. No other House business can occur until a speaker is selected, which means floor votes, committee hearings and other congressional work will grind to a halt if Republicans can’t agree on a new leader. House rules require lawmakers to keep holding votes for speaker until someone secures 218 votes or a simple majority of members voting.
Neither McCarthy allies nor his hard-right enemies are backing down. It’s unclear where Republicans go from here. The House adjourned for the day just before 5:30 p.m. A group of 19 conservatives opposed him in the first two rounds of voting, but by the third, that number grew to 20.
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