On Friday members of Congress left Washington, with the group of House Republicans opposing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) bid for the Speakership remaining unrelenting in their position. This has set the stage for what is expected to be a dramatic Jan. 3 Speaker’s vote on the first day of the 118th Congress.
McCarthy avoided answering any questions about how he would gain the necessary support over Christmas instead he said that he planned to “go home; have a really nice Christmas.”
There are at least five Republicans thus far who have either said that they will not be voting in favor of McCarthy or have simply indicated that they would not support him. Others have also openly withheld their support and have pushed for different government priorities that would empower individual House members.
It has been a century since the last time the Speaker vote had to go to a second ballot.
However, with House Republicans only narrowly winning the House with 222, and McCarthy needing 2018, the members who have expressed their opposition already could be enough to cost him the position if they don’t change their position.
While there are those who have opposed McCarthy there are also many of his allies who have championed him and supported him while he tries to gain enough support to become the House Speaker.
McCarthy did manage to win the support of many of those members who had been withholding support after endorsing the idea of several House members called for all the bills supported by those GOP senators who voted in favor of the omnibus government funding bill to be stopped when they reached the House floor.
