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McCarthy to House Republicans: Stop ‘Playing Games’ With My Speaker Nomination

© AP Photo / J. Scott ApplewhiteHouse Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., responds to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 3, 2021. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy told other GOP lawmakers shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection that he would urge then-President Donald Trump to resign, according to an audio recording posted Thursday night, April 21, 2022 by The New York Times. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., responds to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 3, 2021. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy told other GOP lawmakers shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection that he would urge then-President Donald Trump to resign, according to an audio recording posted Thursday night, April 21, 2022 by The New York Times. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) - Sputnik International, 1920, 29.11.2022
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Congress is set to elect a new speaker of the House after Republicans wrestled control of the chamber from Democrats in this year’s midterm elections, albeit by a smaller-than-expected margin. Republicans hold 222 seats to the Democrats’ 213.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy warned his fellow Republicans that if they “play games” with his nomination, it could open the door for Democrats to select the speaker of the House for the next Congress.

“If we don’t do this right, the Democrats can take the majority. If we play games on the floor, the Democrats can end up picking who the speaker is,” McCarthy said on Newsmax Monday.

The House will vote for the next speaker when the next Congress begins on January 3. McCarthy won the GOP nomination for House Speaker earlier this month, beating Andy Biggs of Arizona in a 188-31 vote, with five members not voting for either candidate.
While all Democrats are expected to vote for their nomination, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has crossed the aisle and joined five Republicans in not throwing their support behind McCarthy. The GOP members who have publicly indicated that they will not vote for McCarthy include Reps. Bob Good (VA), Ralph Norman (SC), Matt Rosendale (MT), Matt Gaetz (FL) and Biggs.
Assuming those five abstain from voting, rather than switching sides and voting for Jeffries, that would lower the GOP’s advantage to 217-213, which would leave the GOP with very little margin for error.
Other GOP members have expressed some concern about McCarthy’s nomination, though they did not indicate which way they plan to vote. Biggs said on a recent podcast that he believes there are 20 “hard noes” on McCarthy being the house leader, more than enough to give the edge to Democrats if Republicans cannot unify.
FILE - A voter fills out a ballot during the Pennsylvania primary election at the Michaux Manor Living Center in Fayetteville, Pa., May 17, 2022. As the 2022 midterm elections enter their final two-month sprint, leading Republicans concede that their party's advantage may be slipping even as Democrats confront their president's weak standing, deep voter pessimism and the weight of history this fall. - Sputnik International, 1920, 21.11.2022
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Plurality of Likely US Voters Believe Republican Control of House Good for Country - Poll
While a majority vote is required to secure the speaker position, it does not have to be a majority of Congress, which would require 218 votes. Any representative who is absent or votes present, along with any vacated seats, will not be included in the total. That could lower the bar Democrats have to get over to get an upset win in the election if enough Republicans refuse to back McCarthy.
McCarthy has been criticized for not committing to a budget that cuts spending, an unwillingness to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and resisting changes to the Freedom Caucus rules that would give rank-and-file members more power.
Biggs, along with the other four members who have indicated that they won’t vote for McCarthy, are part of the influential House Freedom Caucus, which formed in 2015 and was a major reason why former Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) stepped down as then-House speaker. The Freedom Caucus also withheld its support from McCarthy to replace Boehner and supported former Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), who eventually secured the spot.
This time, the Freedom Caucus may not be so unified in stopping McCarthy. At least one member, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), has signaled her support of McCarthy, echoing his comments that if a few moderates join with Democrats, they could pick their own candidate.
McCarthy and his allies argue there is no other viable candidate for the position, whereas Biggs does not see it that way; he expects a serious contender will be apparent before the January 3 vote.
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