The House Republicans are divided over the issue of who should be speaker of this new Congress, and it looks like what will follow might not be a pretty sight. Amidst numerous protests, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is facing an absolute uproar from some fractions of his party members – and if neither side budges, all hell might indeed break loose in DC. Brushes with chaos can give us a deeper insight on what could emerge as the main narrative for the rest of these proceedings.
Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy had a rough start post-election, when six of his fellow GOP representatives instantly cast doubt on his leadership. While it’s becoming increasingly apparent that the Republicans dropped the ball when it came to seizing victory in this election, these six opponents of McCarthy, Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Bob Good (R-VA), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Loren Boebert (R-CO), and Matt Rosendale (R-MT) may have just prevented him from mounting any sort of successful counterattack within the party—a move that would unquestionably only end in further humiliation for their already battered reputation.
Matt Gaetz says members were threatened with removal from committees if they don’t vote for Kevin McCarthy for Speaker and that he wouldn’t participate in their “puppet show”.
As it stands, Lauren Boebert, will not be voting for Kevin McCarthy to be Speaker of the House.
Matt Gaetz followed up with his opposition to McCarthy’s leadership saying, “If you want to drain the swamp, you cannot put the biggest alligator in charge of the exercise.”
The nastiest reaction to McCarty’s opposition came from Dan Crenshaw, who called anti-McCarthy Republicans “narcissists” and “enemies”.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, told CNN host Kaitlan Collins that an outsider may be able to challenge House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House.
There is good news today: Nancy Pelosi is no longer President and Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger are no longer Congress members.
Alarmed conservatives are voicing their opposition to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bid for House Speaker if Republicans take control of the chamber, as they fear his relatively moderate style will weaken their hard-line stance against Democratic priorities. McCarthy has been criticized for being too timid in challenging the strategies of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and not taking enough action on issues such as border security and defense funding which are of utmost importance to the Republican party. If he wins the speakership, he would control the agenda and be able to launch potentially destabilizing investigations into President Joe Biden’s administration and family, while keeping Democrats in check.
With uncertainty rising over the Republican candidate for speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy’s chances in the upcoming vote, all eyes now look to Tuesday’s decisive outcome. McCarthy faces a tough challenge from hardline members of his party, with many choosing loyalty to their beliefs over an uncertain leadership style that might be less drawn into culture wars and partisan rivalries. However, McCarthy was still seen working out of the speaker’s office on Monday, intent on not giving up until votes are finally cast. Depending on what happens today, it appears either way McCarthy will remain in politics for years to come.
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