PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is considering creating a new leadership position and a select committee on China next Congress as he looks to secure the speaker’s gavel if Republicans take back the majority in November, four sources confirmed to the Washington Examiner.
The talk of creating new positions comes as names have begun to emerge in what is teeing up to be a crowded whip race, the No. 3 position in House GOP leadership, if the GOP flips control of the lower chamber. Multiple lawmakers said Deputy Whip Drew Ferguson, Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, the ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik of New York, and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Emmer of Minnesota are being viewed as contenders.
The new seat at the leadership table would be chairman of the Elected Leadership Conference, the sources said.
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Democrats have created new leadership roles in the past. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expanded her leadership team to include an assistant speaker role and a third co-chair to the Steering and Policy Committee in 2018.
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The select committee would be tasked with investigating and giving policy recommendations aimed at combating threats from China.
McCarthy previously established a China task force in 2020, which was initially intended to be bipartisan before Democrats ultimately opted not to join.
McCarthy’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
