House Republicans are getting closer to electing GOP leader Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the new Congress. On the fourth day of grueling debate and voting, a number of holdouts are switching to him…
By LISA MASCARO and FARNOUSH AMIRI
For a few minutes in the House chamber. Republicans tiring of the spectacle walked out in protest when one of McCarthy’s most ardent challengers railed against the GOP leader. But there’s no deal yet, he told colleagues on a private morning call, according to a Republican familiar with the call and granted anonymity to discuss it.
The agreement McCarthy presented to the holdouts from the conservative Freedom Caucus and others centers around rules changes they have been seeking for months. Those changes would shrink the power of the speaker’s office and give rank-and-file lawmakers more influence in drafting and passing legislation.
Other wins for the holdouts include provisions in the proposed deal to expand the number of seats available on the House Rules Committee, to mandate 72 hours for bills to be posted before votes and to promise to try for a constitutional amendment that would impose federal limits on the number of terms a person could serve in the House and Senate.
The California Republican exited the chamber and quipped about the moment: “Apparently, I like to make history.”One McCarthy critic, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, cast votes for Trump — a symbolic but pointed sign of the broad divisions over the Republican Party’s future. Then he went further, moving the day from protest toward the absurd in formally nominating the former president to be House speaker on the 11th ballot. Trump got one vote, from Gaetz, drawing laughter.
Pressure has grown with each passing day for McCarthy to somehow find the votes he needs or step aside. The incoming Republican chairmen of the House’s Foreign Affairs, Armed Services and Intelligence committees all said national security was at risk.
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