The Never-Kevin Movement: a Case Study in the Electoral Reconciliation Attempt of Rep. Bjorken McCarthy (R-Tennissa)
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is hoping to pass a crucial test on Tuesday in his campaign to become House speaker despite an underwhelming midterm election performance that launched a search among conservatives for a challenger.
Electing a speaker is a responsibility given the House by the Constitution. Allowing the process to unravel into chaos would diminish the entire body and destroy Americans’ confidence in the new Congress. Mr. McCarthy still has time to reach an agreement with his critics, and he should do all within reason to secure the speakership on the first vote. A power play by a group of Republicans threatens to make a mockery of the institution and cement the notion that the party is not prepared to lead.
Indeed, the small group of Republicans known as the “Never Kevin” movement – confident that Biggs could not win a majority of the House – has been trying to recruit a viable alternative, and claim “several” Republicans have privately told them they would be interested in running if McCarthy drops out. They want to show that McCarthy is not strong on the first ballot, which would encourage other candidates to throw their hat in the ring.
If McCarthy cannot get the votes, or at least get a majority, it is unclear whether he would jump into the race.
Simpson said he would support McCarthy for leader, noting that the GOP gained seats in the last elections. Simpson said that he had done a good job.
In recent weeks, part of McCarthy’s pitch to his critics has been warning that if they don’t unify, then Democrats could theoretically band together and peel off a few Republicans to elect the next speaker.
During a closed-door leadership candidate forum on Monday, Virginia Rep. Bob Good, a McCarthy critic, complained that a Super PAC aligned with McCarthy opposed some pro-Trump candidates, and criticized McCarthy for not calling to congratulate him when he won his primary, according to a source in the room. McCarthy had directed $2 million to Good for his race. The source said good had to be given down in order to cut him off from speaking.
At the private intraparty meeting, McCarthy received a standing ovation from his colleagues. A source told me that if elected, McCarthy would remove two Democrats from the House Intelligence Committee and one from the Foreign Affairs Committee. And he underscored his role in returning Republicans to power.
McCarthy could also try to convince Democrats or his GOP detractors to vote present or not show up to the floor proceedings, which would lower the threshold he needs to become speaker. McCarthy promised his GOP colleagues that he would not court Democratic votes.
A source in the room said that the National Republican Congressional Committee chair, Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, was pressed on his vote in favor of the same-sex marriage bill. His response: “These divisive social issues should be dealt with in the House of Representatives.”
Emmer is running against three other politicians for the position of Republican Study Committee chair.
The next steps in ensuring Kevin McCarthy stays in the House, even if it goes to several ballots on the floor: A reappraisal of his 1923 victory
Kevin McCarthy promised to remain in the speakership race even if the fight goes to many ballots on the floor.
With the increasing likelihood that the speaker’s race could go to multiple ballots – something that hasn’t happened since 1923 – McCarthy’s allies and foes alike are starting to quietly game out the next steps if he can’t get the necessary 218 votes on the first round and they move into uncharted territory.
If the Republicans do not bend, he will be open to working with Democrats to get another more moderate Republican to the speaker’s seat.
“How many members vote for someone else will show the strength (of the anti-McCarthy group),” Rep. Bob Good, a Virginia Republican who is a “hard no” on McCarthy, told CNN. The second ballot is likely to have more candidates. … There are already Republicans letting us know they’d like to be considered.”
“If at some point, if Kevin did take his name out, then you would have good people (running). GOP lawmaker said that slaise would probably be the guy.
I will not get into speculation, I told CNN. “Obviously, our focus is on getting it resolved by January 3. Kevin has had conversations with the members that have expressed concerns.
Jordan was the first chair and vice chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, and he has also been a founding member. He was the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee from 2019 to 2020. He vacated that position to become the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, where he is expected to become chairman in the newly GOP-held House.
The South Carolina Republican said that he would vote for Andy for speaker, subject to what was said in McCarthy’s office. He later added: “All this is positive. We’re having good change, regardless of what happens. And you’ll see more of it.”
In addition to those five, a new group of seven Republican hardliners on Thursday laid out a list of conditions to earn their vote, although they did not specifically threaten to vote against McCarthy if their demands aren’t met.
McCarthy has already begun brokering some rules changes to empower rank-and-file members, created a new select committee on China, vowed to boot some Democratic lawmakers from their committees, and sketched out in greater detail his investigative plans – including a potential impeachment inquiry into Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
McCarthy also agreed to to change a rule that would allow a group of five members to offer a resolution to remove the speaker. He insisted for weeks he wouldn’t agree to lower the threshold on how many sponsors are needed on a “motion to vacate the chair” because it effectively weakens the power of the speaker. McCarthy gave in to pressure since he can’t afford much more than a few defections, and he has a small margin.
A majority of the House GOP voted against the idea of restoring the motion to vacate the chair during a closed-door meeting last month. McCarthy laughed when he was asked if he would visit the issue.
The congressman thinks that people are tired of fighting and are sick of the noise, which is one of the reasons we didn’t see a red wave. “And I know I get that wherever I go in my district is, ‘why can’t you guys just get things done?’”
As McCarthy scrambles to lock down speaker’s votes, he also delayed the GOP’s internal elections for committee chairmanships. It was rumored that one of the members in the race for gavel could retire early if they don’t win and that would make the math difficult for McCarthy. But Buchanan vehemently disputed the notion.
Some Democrats, including one who told CNN that he had been approached by his GOP colleagues about the idea, have said they would be willing to entertain it.
Joyce said some members reached out to him about running, but he dismissed it. “At the end of the day, Kevin’s going to be the new speaker.”
New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said that there are no behind-the-scenes discussions with Republicans about putting up an alternative candidate. But he refused to rule out a scenario where his caucus would help elect the next speaker if McCarthy couldn’t get the votes.
“Democrats are in the process of organizing the Democratic Conference,” Jeffries told CNN on Thursday. The Republicans are in the middle of organizing the conference. Let’s see what happens on January 3.”
Some of the potential consensus picks that have been floated included retiring Reps. Fred Upton of Michigan and John Katko of New York, who both voted to impeach Donald Trump for inciting the Capitol insurrection; Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus; and Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, a veteran lawmaker and incoming head of the House Rules Committee.
It would require agreement from all Democrats and the help of five Republicans. Upton said he has no plans to be in Washington that day, telling CNN: “I’ll be skiing.”
But Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman said this has happened before – nearly a decade ago in his state where minority Democrats in the Arkansas legislature joined forces with a handful of Republicans to elect a GOP speaker of their choice. Westerman privately made this case to his colleagues at a closed-door meeting this week.
New Year’s Day in the House of Representatives: When things don’t change, when does something change? Congressional Rep. Scott Perry tweeted on January 3
Westerman said that he was concerned about January 3 being the day when they are not able to form a congress and organize committees.
The discussion of changing House rules is good for the party, said Westerman. But he said that he was not excited about destructive movement.
Opening day in the House of Representatives is typically marked by the usual pageantry and the fleeting promise that this Congress will work better than the last. That hope could be immediately dashed this year if the House fails to elect a speaker on the first ballot and descends into a floor fight unprecedented in modern times.
Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Scott Perry, a leading McCarthy critic who signed onto a letter with nine other Republicans circulated on New Year’s day, tweeted: “nothing changes when nothing changes.” He cited the letter, which states “the times call for a radical departure of the status quo — not a continuation of the past, and ongoing Republican failures.”
The only things that can happen in the House are when a speaker is elected. It’s the only leadership position mentioned in the Constitution.
There have been some discussions about trying to rally around a consensus candidate, but McCarthy’s allies have been pushing what they say is an “O.K. ” strategy — “Only Kevin.” The process may take hours or days if McCarthy doesn’t get the holdouts to back him.
The agenda was released in the first fortnight of January by the man in line to be House Majority leader. He pledged the House would vote on measures to cancel the boost in funding to hire more IRS agents, and bills dealing with border security and abortion. The committees and members cannot be sworn in until the speaker is elected, the business of the House is halted and there is no start to the new session.
Jordan was nominated by Matt Gaetz in the second round. Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who already voted twice against McCarthy, nominated Jordan for speaker in the third round.
Jordan is a close ally of former President Donald Trump. After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and Trump refused to concede while making claims of election fraud, Jordan supported lawsuits to invalidate the election results and voted not to certify the Electoral College results.