House conservatives are putting major roadblocks on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) path to the speech. Why it matters: If House Republicans manage to win a majority from the midterm elections, it will likely be a narrow one, meaning only a handful of members could prevent McCarthy from taking the gavel.
McCarthy told CNN on Wednesday that he has the votes to become speaker. But behind the scenes, conservatives are trying to press McCarthy for major procedural concessions, including a rule change that could allow them to permanently hold his speaker hostage.
The Situation: Republicans will hold their leadership election next week. McCarthy just needs a majority to vote, by secret ballot, to re-elect him as leader.
The real challenge is when the entire House votes to elect the president. It will take almost his entire conference to stick together and support him then – and that vote is public.
What they’re saying: Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), emerging from a meeting of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus on Thursday, told Axios “no one right now has 218 votes to be speaker in a vote of a packed house .
Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), who openly opposes McCarthy, told Axios that he has “confirmed with multiple people that … there will be a challenge” to McCarthy in next week’s GOP leadership election. “I think he’s in deep trouble … getting him on the floor of the House is going to be very difficult,” former Trump aide Russ Vought said as he left a meeting of the caucus. Axios has reached out to McCarthy’s office for comment.
What caught our eye: McCarthy on Thursday tapped his most prominent supporter in the Freedom Caucus, House Judiciary Committee member Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), appointing him to the 118th Congressional transition team.
McCarthy also appointed House Minority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), who is considered a possible alternative to McCarthy but has said he will remain as his No. 2.
