© Reuters. U.S. House Republican Leadership Kevin McCarthy (R. CA), looks over at Rep. Patrick McHenry. This was shortly after the House of Representatives held a late night 14th Round of negotiations.
2/2
By David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters] -Kevin McCarthy woke on Saturday with a long-held goal fulfilled. He was elected speaker of U.S. House of Representatives after a four-day standoff. This made him the most powerful Republican Party member.
This role can be a nightmare as it requires leadership of a caucus that strongly opposes leadership. Conservatives regularly criticize top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, who has agreed to compromises with Democrats. They also rejected the call of former President Donald Trump to immediately fall behind McCarthy earlier this week.
Californian, 57 years old, showed determination in pushing through 15 rounds. He also dismantled a group of 20 right-wing extremist opponents. He found compromises that would bring most of them to his camp. On Friday night, he told reporters that the long-running process would make him a better leader.
“Because we took so long to learn how to govern, it’s now that we can do it. McCarthy said that we will now be able accomplish the task. “At the end, we’re going be more effective, efficient, and definitely, government will be more accountable.”
McCarthy made major concessions in order to be second behind Kamala Harris to the Oval Office. This included a rule that allows any one of the 435 House members to force McCarthy’s removal.
A weaker-than-expected performance by Republicans in November elections resulted in a narrow 222-212 margin and gives outsized control to a few right-wing hardliners. McCarthy, who has been the minority leader since 2019, was criticized for being too soft and too open for compromise with President Joe Biden’s Democrats.
“We don’t trust McCarthy with power because we know what he will do with it.” We are worried that it won’t be for the American people,” stated Representative Matt Gaetz. Gaetz gave McCarthy one last humiliation Friday night by withholding his support.
A divided government will require compromise, and McCarthy’s concessions increase the chance that the two sides could not reach a deal as the federal government approaches its $31.4 trillion debt limit. Failure to reach an agreement, or even a prolonged standoff, could result in a default that will shake the global economic system.
McCarthy shrugged off any suggestion that the deal might weaken his power.
McCarthy stated that he has no concerns or problems with the deal with critics. He described it as a “very good agreement” that “empowers members.”
CUTS TO SPEND
He also promised to make deep cuts in government spending in order to balance the federal budget within 10 years. This will be effective in October.
The week-long deadlock over his candidacy has empowered individual lawmakers at a moment when the small Republican majority gives him only four votes to pass legislation.
McCarthy spent most of his adult life in politics. He started out as a congressional staffer, then became a state legislator before becoming a member of the House in 2006. In 2015, he ran unsuccessfully for Speaker. This election is the culmination of his career.
However, the Speaker’s Post has proven to be a formidable challenge to Republicans in recent years. John Boehner quit the post in 2015 following a battle with rebellious conservatives.
Paul Ryan, Boehner’s successor, was a frequent target by conservatives and decided not to run for reelection. Trump had shifted the party’s attention from Ryan’s fiscal priorities, to immigration, culture-war issues, and Ryan became a frequent target.
McCarthy was criticized by hardliners for publicly acknowledging that Trump was responsible for the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. This attack occurred just days after the violence. He pledged his loyalty to the former president several times.
Trump demanded credit for the election of the new speaker, and posted video to his Truth Social network McCarthy, thanking him for his support. It captioned it: “Thanks Kevin. It was a great honor.
According to the White House, Biden spoke with McCarthy Saturday to express his gratitude.
McCarthy campaigned in at least 34 states for more than 160 candidates before the midterms. He is also a part of the Congressional Leadership Fund which contributed $160 million to Republican House candidates. McCarthy, through his own campaign as well as four other entities that he controlled, sent $6.5 Million to candidates.
To reach the speakership, he also agreed to not interfere in future Republican primary elections, even if that meant supporting candidates he believed were more likely to win a general electoral election than his right-wing counterparts.
“Kevin was a good person. In a speech praising McCarthy, Republican Representative Mike Garcia stated that he is a man of God. “He is a patriot. He is a leader and has led this conference to its current majority in the past four years. These are unassailable things.”