Home Politics GOP Lawmakers Turn up the Intensity in House Speaker Battle

GOP Lawmakers Turn up the Intensity in House Speaker Battle

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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivers remarks at the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington DC, December 1, 2021. USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores.

Republican lawmakers are turning up the intensity in the halls of Congress over the fight for the next Speaker.

Supporters for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) are signaling where they stand by wearing custom “O.K” buttons, meaning “only Kevin.”

According to The Washington Examiner, the conservative House Freedom Caucus has lined up against McCarthy’s bid, with the most militant members dubbed the “Never Kevin” faction. Now, a group of centrist Republicans is continuing the riff on “Never Trump” by turning the label on its head, vowing to support “Only Kevin” on Jan. 3, when the House will elect a new speaker.

McCarthy won the speaker nomination from his conference last month with 31 Republican holdouts.

McCarthy will need a majority of votes — 218 if all lawmakers cast their ballot — but with Republicans commanding only a four-vote majority next year, McCarthy and his surrogates have the daunting task of chipping away at nearly all the GOP opposition in time for the vote. If he can’t, there could be a floor fight and multiple rounds of voting.

Members of the Republican Governance Group were seen sporting the “O.K.” pins around the Capitol this week in support of the minority leader. The centrist caucus, formerly known as the Tuesday Group, has urged Freedom Caucus members to drop their opposition, penning a letter earlier this month likening the intraparty fighting to the conference “handcuffing itself to a burning building before” the next Congress even begins.

Freedom Caucus members are demanding a number of concessions from McCarthy in exchange for their vote, most controversially a change to the “motion to vacate the chair,” a procedure that can be used to oust a sitting speaker. The lawmakers want to enable any single member to offer the motion.

Arizona Congressman and Freedom Caucus chairman Andy Biggs is planning to challenge McCarthy for the Speaker’s gavel in a floor vote in January.

14 COMMENTS

  1. So ridiculous! Makes me ashamed to be a republican. Such childish behavior. Of course with the money they all stand to get from deals and timely stock trades, I guess you just can’t be too childish.

  2. If the republicans don’t pull their heads out of their asses they are going to Blow It. List all possible choices for the position. Next everyone vote for their choice. Tallie votes person with least votes is dropped out. Then vote again, and again the one with the least votes is dropped. Now repeat until only one person left This is your candidate. Done!

  3. Republican lawmakers are turning up the intensity in the halls of Congress over the fight for the next Speaker. This is exactly why I’m holding off on sending any financial contributions to any of the Republicans or Conservatives, they’re acting like aa bunch of children….

    Ridiculous, grow up and unite. Stop fighting each other after winning the House back. Let Mc Cathy be speaker you idiots.

  4. That sounds like a great plan! Why does RINO McCarthy think he is the best choice. He has not had President Trumps best interest and we need a strong conservative Republican who will lead for We the people needs not their own political power agenda.

  5. This is the truth, the Republicans have to present a solid front and begin working as a team or they will accomplish nothing in the coming session of Congress. If they are scattered, they might as well go home. And let the democrats continue to make horrific deals and laws that set up socialism. What are they thinking? Who knows, it’s for sure they aren’t thinking at all. They used to have some actual plan and a real leader to make the path to getting their goal. Now they have no idea who they are, or why they are even a political party. I agree with Roland, they either get their heads out of their behinds or nothing, not a single thing will be accomplished. Either do it or get the hell out of the way so we can get people in there who will do it and do it united.

  6. This is like children fighting over a candy cane. It demonstrates a lack of concern to achieve things for the American people. The democrats are poison for the American people, but they are unified and hence, they get things accomplished, most of which are bad for the Country. Elect McCarthy, if he has not done a good job, in 6-8 months, then consider a change. Now is NOT the time!!!!

  7. Better to burn the House down than let RINO McCarthy win. He is PURE establishment, pro-war-forever, Ukraine support idiot, and won’t do a damned thing to try and close the southern border, deport the gorillians of illegals let in by the Communist Party (Democraps), or do ANYTHING for the base that MUST be done (ending/gutting the NFA, gutting the ATF, deleting the FBI, and doing everything possible to end child grooming in schools by trans perverts).

  8. O.K. is sort of okay – as compared to the likes of post turtle and perhaps weepy (Boehner in case memory fails ya) or even Ryan. IMHO he is far too willing to play the go along to get along with his ‘friends’ across the aisle. What has that gotten us?

  9. Kevin is an establishment 🐷, cares nothing about the truth & takes money from highest bidder (lobbyists)! Unfortunately I live in his hometown & have been fooled before. Time to go another direction!!

  10. The rinos business as usual might as well become democrats. Might as well drop the GOP, the next time will be the same. How can it be worse?

  11. Republicans have a real talent in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. There doesn’t seem to be any other candidate than McCarthy who comes close to 218 votes. So stop the petty bickering, vote him in, and get on with the important work you were elected to do!

  12. I vote for Kevin. I don’t want to see the January 6 garbage anywhere. They are a bunch of clowns. We need Kevin for this position. He has been approved
    by many Republicans. That does not include anyone from the January 6, phoneys. Willow Hopkins, Republican since 1940.

  13. We have too many dummies clowning around when it comes to our leaders. Kevin has proven himself many times. Let him do his job. We have been
    counting on him for a long time. We have had so many fakes coming out of the woodwork. We need a proven person to take this job forward. Look at
    the garbage in the White House and now we a poorer, and have all the illegals coming across the border and not a decent person working for us. WE have
    only garbage there. How did the Democrates get this over on us? He (the president, has brought all his criminal families members to take advantage of
    us, and get us into wars and strip our country of all we have. They are all garbage people. We do not trust them to make decisions for us. They have
    not done anything for this country but bring is down and destroy our great country. Willow Hopkins

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