As the first vote for the Speaker of the House approached, things moved quickly Tuesday.
In an attempt to deprive Kevin McCarthy of the speakership, a small group of Republicans is locked in a fierce fight with the majority of their caucus. We are now getting more details about their demands.
🚨🚨NEWS: @GOPLeader has asked the House Freedom Caucus to present their offer to the House Republican Conference in a closed meeting this am.
McCarthy did not see the offer as viable.
THE OFFER included …. 1/x
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 3, 2023
The first request was, understandably, a no-starter. The Speaker will not allow five of more than 200 Republicans to dictate committee assignments. This would effectively make the caucus dysfunctional. Other members would rebel and refuse to accept it.
However, I have no problems with the Church Committee. It will investigate corruption in the government (i.e. FBI, CIA, etc.) A larger budget than the January 6th Committee. It would be a great idea, wouldn’t you think? It is more complex and extensive than a three-hour riot. The Freedom Caucus has been fighting tooth and nail to make this issue a reality. Let them lead the way!
McCarthy’s inability to promise votes for conservative policies such as the Fair Tax Act or term limits is another sticking point. There is no issue for me. They would fail, but that’s okay. It’s absurd to think that voting on issues is bad for any party. Voters would prefer to see their representatives go public then have the leadership gatekeep that the Pelosi-led House had. McCarthy would be wise to avoid fighting on points not worth fighting for.
However, McCarthy supporters are not willing to accept the risks. This was evident in a Monday meeting.
MORE NEWS —
In a private mtg yesterday, GAETZ, BOEBERT, PERRY told McCarthy they wanted their OWN legal entity in House to wage lawsuits.
The group also told McCarthy that they don’t mind if the speaker vote goes to plurality and @RepJeffries is elected bc they’ll fight him. https://t.co/UMSJX0DmFI
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 3, 2023
Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz are very concerned about Hakeem Jeffries becoming the Speaker. They believe they could challenge him from the position of the minority. It’s not something they would be willing to support, since it would certainly mean the end of their political careers and total ostracization. They are most likely making this threat even though they know it isn’t real.
It is possible Jeffries could still benefit from the Republicans bungling this process. The House has voted multiple times in US history to allow a plurality of members to choose the Speaker. If some Republicans become frustrated and vote with Democrats, Jeffries could be elected if the anti-McCarthy group wins. This would result in the GOP losing all track of the process, and the members of both sides going crazy. Let’s pray that this doesn’t happen.
