(The Guardian) House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy faces historic struggle to clinch speakership
All signs point to a battle royale on the House side of Capitol Hill today – and perhaps beyond – as California Republican Kevin McCarthy battles to secure enough votes to be named House Speaker, while facing fierce opposition from the right-wing of his caucus.
He has long aspired to become Speaker of the House, failing in an attempt in 2015 and now hoping he will succeed and take the gavel from his fellow Californian from the other side of the aisle – outgoing Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi is continuing as a representative in the House, of her San Francisco district, but is stepping back from her leadership role. The Republicans won control of the House by a narrow margin at the midterm elections in November.
Look for Pelosi’s Democratic leadership successor Hakeem Jeffries, as House minority leader, to help make things difficult for McCarthy today, rallying all his members to the chamber to vote against McCarthy becoming Speaker and making it harder for the Republican to scrape a majority.
McCarthy needs 218 votes to win the speakership (barring any absences that could lower that threshold) and there is stubborn opposition to his victory from far-right Republican representatives such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz.
The right-wing House freedom caucus chair’s Scott Perry tweeted this an hour ago.
All signs point to a battle royale on the House side of Capitol Hill today – and perhaps beyond – as California Republican Kevin McCarthy battles to secure enough votes to be named House Speaker, while facing fierce opposition from the right-wing of his caucus.
He has long aspired to become Speaker of the House, failing in an attempt in 2015 and now hoping he will succeed and take the gavel from his fellow Californian from the other side of the aisle – outgoing Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi is continuing as a representative in the House, of her San Francisco district, but is stepping back from her leadership role. The Republicans won control of the House by a narrow margin at the midterm elections in November.
Look for Pelosi’s Democratic leadership successor Hakeem Jeffries, as House minority leader, to help make things difficult for McCarthy today, rallying all his members to the chamber to vote against McCarthy becoming Speaker and making it harder for the Republican to scrape a majority.
McCarthy needs 218 votes to win the speakership (barring any absences that could lower that threshold) and there is stubborn opposition to his victory from far-right Republican representatives such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz.
The right-wing House freedom caucus chair’s Scott Perry tweeted this an hour ago.
