Members of the House Freedom Caucus are threatening to derail House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become the next speaker of the House as the conservative group looks for concessions from the California Republican as he faces a narrower-than-expected majority next year.
The group, which played a key role in forcing former Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to step down, is looking to flex its muscle, with members pushing for reforms to the motion to vacate the chair, which would ease the process to oust a sitting speaker; changes to the Steering Committee, which is tasked with choosing committee assignments and who holds committee gavels; and a slowdown of the legislative process to allow for more amendments.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) said changes to the motion to vacate is a “red line” for her support.
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“The most important thing is to remember that the leader, whoever wants to be a leader, has to earn 218, so that’s the question, right?” Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) told reporters outside the Freedom Caucus’s new member orientation on Thursday. “Let’s just say that no one currently has 218.”
Conservatives are weighing putting forth a member to challenge McCarthy for the role, which would increase their leverage and potentially put McCarthy’s leadership at risk.
“I expect there to be a challenge,” Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) said.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has been making calls advocating against McCarthy for the role and publicly blasted him on Twitter, sources familiar told the Washington Examiner.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) would not say if she would support McCarthy for speaker on Thursday, adding that there’s “absolutely” a certain committee she wants to join next Congress. Greene, who was stripped of her committee assignments, has recently expressed an interest in the Oversight Committee.
McCarthy is so far running uncontested and recently received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
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Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) said Thursday that he hopes “leadership elections are delayed,” adding that McCarthy has called him for support and he has not committed. Norman said the Freedom Caucus will have other changes to put forward that it would like to see in the next Congress.
The caucus’s chairman, Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), said he called McCarthy yesterday to discuss changes but that he didn’t answer. “I think he ought to be fully engaged,” Perry said.
