US Congress 2023: Rep. Kevin McCarthy House Speakership Bid in Trouble

Representative Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is up against an uprising from a group of conservative flame throwers who have vowed to prevent him from the speakership when the House holds its first-floor vote of the new Congress on Tuesday.

In the event that the revolutionaries, headed by Representatives Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ), follow through on their threat, the race for US House of Representatives Speakership might proceed to multiple rounds of voting for the first time in 100 years.

The 57-year-old McCarthy, who has long aspired to be the leader of the 435 members of the US House of Representatives, is now perilously close to being elected speaker but is not yet certain that he will earn the 218-vote majority he needs.

On a national scale, Republicans gained a 222-213 majority in the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections and will replace the Democrats and their departing speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

Democrats, who have been stuck in a 50-50 divide with Republicans in the Senate for two years, earned a 51-49 lead in the polls almost two months ago and will keep a majority even after Arizona Senator Krysten Sinema flipped from Democrat to independent, per VOA.

McCarthy, who had led the minority Republicans in the House for the previous four years, was elected speaker of the House in a secret ballot election in November. He defeated Biggs easily, 188-31, and won support from 86% of Republicans in his party's conference.

McCarthy's Fellow Republicans Not Convinced

According to CNN, which cited numerous individuals on the conversation, Rep, Kevin McCarthy made it clear to House Republicans on Sunday night what he was willing to give up in exchange for the gavel, including a rule change that would dilute the authority of the speaker.

The conservative House Freedom Caucus, which had been withholding support, wanted the move to make it simpler for rank-and-file colleagues to unseat a speaker midway through Congress.

Nevertheless, nine Republicans in the US House of Representatives said that Kevin McCarthy had not yet done enough to merit their support, as per a report from NBC News.

Supporters of Kevin McCarthy claim that conservatives' guerilla efforts will only prevent the incoming House GOP majority from getting off to a good start and from opening probes into the Biden administration since the House cannot do any business until a speaker has been chosen.

Other Possible Options for House Speaker

On Monday, Kevin McCarthy supporter Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) reiterated his earlier threat that, should conservatives succeed in toppling McCarthy, a group of moderate Republicans will join with Democrats to install a centrist GOP speaker.

In an op-ed in the Daily Caller, Rep. Bacon noted: "If a few won't be part of the 218 members we need to govern, we'll then find other ways to get to 218."

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) has been mentioned as a potential replacement for McCarthy if he fails to win reelection, while his No. 2 is promising to back him whatever.

On Monday night, Bacon told journalists that if Kevin McCarthy decided to withdraw, he and a bipartisan coalition would propose another candidate in addition to Scalise, as per a story by Politico.