After failing to get 11 votes in three days, there were signs Thursday night that Kevin McCarthy may finally be on a viable path to becoming the next Speaker of the House.
It won’t be easy, automatic, or immediate, according to lawmakers who were processing information in real time as details of the deal emerged. But with the release of the written framework of rules for the 118th Congress on Thursday, McCarthy’s allies hope that many of the Republicans who have voted against him all week will finally be able to support him. I hope
Lawmakers said the framework would give members of the House Liberal Caucus (HFC) who have resisted McCarthy virtually everything they have asked for. Lawmakers familiar with the framework said it included strengthening HFC representation, guardrails aimed at curbing excessive federal spending, and allowing only one member of the House to submit a motion to replace the chairman. told Fox News.
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After three days of fruitless voting in the House, it was the incoming Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, who paved the way to become Speaker of the House.
(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
McCarthy was resisting that last request, hoping to request a motion to “vacate the chair” from at least five members of Congress.
Republican lawmakers who have so far denied McCarthy the 218 votes needed to become president said it would take time to overhaul the framework. South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman told Fox News: “This is the first round,” he said, “and there’s still a long way to go.”
When asked if Congress would work to complete the deal over the weekend, he said, “Probably so.”
Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, who was elected HFC chairman, tweeted late Thursday that they’ll need time to assess what’s ahead of them.”We’re in a Reagan moment.” – ‘Trust but verify,'” he wrote. “The devil is in the details. We take our time to make sure it’s right. I have to
Speaker of the House Vote
Rep. Patrick McHenry (RN.C. left) and Rep. Tom Emer (R-Minnesota) meet Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) on their second day speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives during a meeting with the Elect a Speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
There was another reason why the deal could take a few more days to complete. Some Republicans can’t be in town on Fridays or weekends. For example, Colorado Rep. I had to leave Washington this afternoon for a medical appointment.
With Republican margins so small in the new House, Republicans will probably have to get everyone back before voting for McCarthy, which seems more likely next week’s vote.Matt Gates of Florida Some of McCarthy’s most vocal opponents, including Congressman and Florida Rep. Bob Goode, are never expected to endorse him.
This fact alone leaves McCarthy’s trail very narrow. He can only afford to lose his four Republican votes, and if he wins the gavel, at a minimum he will do so with 218 votes.
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But the prospect of a possible deal at the negotiating table encouraged other Republicans after three consecutive days of repeated votes and no majority vote to choose a new chairman. . Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota said there was a sudden surge of momentum that hadn’t been there before.
“I think you’ll see slow and steady progress,” he told Fox News. I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen in the next few hours, but I think it’s quite possible.I’m going to get a good deal out of that sandwich.”
The Allies of McCarthy have been in intense negotiations with their opponents over the past 36 hours and have reached a tentative agreement.
(Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina said he believes McCarthy is well on his way to succeeding outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after a day and a half of progress.
“We have to bring them in for a functioning Republican majority, and I plan to do that with the Republican chairman,” he said. “Kevin McCarthy will be that speaker at the end of the day. Maybe not today…but it will be soon.”
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One of the criticisms McCarthy has faced is that he may have ceded too much to the HFC, which considers its roughly 50 members and a small Republican House majority. But McCarthy rejected the notion that he would be a weak speaker under the rules he was negotiating.
“No,” he told Fox News.
Fox News’ Jacqui Henrich, Tyler Olson, Brianna McClelland, and Chad Pegram contributed to this report, and Fox News Digital’s Brianna Herhily contributed.
