Republican McCarthy’s dream doesn’t seem destined to come true
2023.01.03 09:45
Republican McCarthy’s dream doesn’t seem destined to come true
Budrigannews.com – If top Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy is able to survive a nightmare of infighting that threatens to stymie his party’s new majority, he might be able to fulfill his long-held ambition of holding the speaker’s chair this week.
The 57-year-old California Republican is widely expected to succeed Democrat Nancy Pelosi as House speaker. This places him second in line for the presidency and makes him a congressional power broker who can thwart Democratic President Joe Biden’s legislative ambitions before the 2024 election.
However, Republicans have found the speaker’s position to be a formidable obstacle in recent years, as evidenced by John Boehner’s resignation in 2015 following a struggle with rebellious conservatives.
Paul Ryan, Boehner’s successor and a frequent target of conservatives, decided not to run for president in 2018 as the party focused on immigration and culture war issues rather than Ryan’s fiscal priorities.
Republican Representative Dave Joyce of Ohio, who attributes McCarthy’s contribution to the campaign platform that enabled Republicans to take control of the House in the November midterm elections, stated, “Kevin deserves the opportunity to lead.”
Joyce told Reuters, “Kevin is great at getting people together, letting the conversations happen, and building a consensus.” That’s how he came up with our campaign slogan, “Commitment to America.”
Before being elected to the House in 2006, McCarthy worked as a congressional staffer and then as a state legislator. He has spent his entire adult life in politics. The culmination of his career would be his elevation to the position of speaker.
However, it is unknown whether or not he will be able to win the coveted gavel in Republican politics, which is always in jeopardy.
Republicans won the November elections with a narrow majority of 222-213, and McCarthy is facing strong opposition from hard-line conservatives, including new members who are steadfast supporters of former President Donald Trump and want a lot of influence in exchange for their support.
In a recent podcast interview with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, Representative-elect Anna Paulina Luna stated, “I do listen to what my constituents say.” “I’ve gotten a lot of emails from people telling me that they don’t want me to vote for Kevin McCarthy.”
Multiple inquiries regarding the speaker’s race were not answered by McCarthy’s office.
In the event that he is successful, McCarthy will have to contend with the hard-line House Freedom Caucus’ efforts to push the Republican conference ever further to the right in order to maintain control of the 435-seat chamber.
In addition, McCarthy, who has held the position of minority leader in the House since 2019, would need to collaborate with a Democratic Senate and the Biden administration on legislation that must be passed.
On Tuesday, the 118th Congress will be sworn in at the United States Capitol. After that, Democrats and Republicans in the House will quickly move on to a vote on the floor for speaker, at which McCarthy will need the support of the majority of the present members to win the top congressional position.
McCarthy’s supporters hope that this year’s battle won’t result in a repeat of his unsuccessful attempt to become speaker in 2015, when he was forced to withdraw due to opposition from conservatives. Ryan, who was hesitant, was awarded the speakership instead that year.
However, there is already speculation that conservative leader Jim Jordan or new House Majority Leader Steve Scalise could emerge as a Republican compromise candidate.
The House Freedom Caucus is advocating for rule changes that would increase the hard-line group’s influence within the Republican conference and make it simpler to control the speaker.
Even though he later repeatedly pledged allegiance to the former president, McCarthy ran afoul of hardliners when he publicly acknowledged that Trump was responsible for the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Some conservatives have remained cautious and discounted recent efforts to appease conservatives by threatening to impeach U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and taking a hard line against Senate Republicans who backed the $1.66 trillion omnibus spending bill that was passed last year.
“I believe he is merely an establishment shill. I feel that Kevin McCarthy is minimal in excess of a vessel through which lobbyists and extraordinary interests work,” Conservative Delegate Matt Gaetz said last week in a meeting with the Day to day Guest, a moderate news and assessment site.
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