House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Monday formally asked his fellow Republican lawmakers to support his bid for speaker, extending an olive branch to disaffected conservatives with a promise to bring the House “much closer to the people we represent.”
“I am running to be your speaker because I know that the people’s House works best when the leadership you elect listens to members and respects the legislative process entrusted to committees,” he said. “In short, I am guided by something Ronald Reagan once said: ‘The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.'”
McCarthy, 50, is the heavy favorite to succeed House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who will resign Oct. 30 in part because of a challenge to his leadership from the GOP’s far right faction.
McCarthy delivered a memo Monday afternoon to every House Republican that recognized the frustration from conservatives, who say they came to Congress to repeal Obamacare and push for other conservative causes that Congress has failed to accomplish. McCarthy’s memo also recognized the rest of the GOP conference, which is eager to restore unity to the party.
“If elected Speaker, I promise you that we will have the courage to lead the fight for our conservative principles and make our case to the American people,” McCarthy said. “But we will also have the wisdom to listen to our constituents and each other so that we always move forward together.”
I am running for Speaker to work with my colleagues and make the case to the American people for conservative principles.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) September 28, 2015
Republicans have not set a date for the leadership elections, but conservatives tell the Washington Examiner they will resist any effort to hold the contests this week or next week because they want time to interview candidates.
McCarthy has already called every member, and the vast majority have a strong connection with him, in part because he led recruitment of candidates that led to the sweeping GOP House victory in 2010.
A relative newcomer, McCarthy took office in 2007 and was elevated to the leadership in 2011 when he was elected House Majority Whip. McCarthy won election to Majority Leader last year, after his predecessor, Eric Cantor, lost his seat in a primary upset.
McCarthy recognized the fractured conference but promised to repair it.
“We can’t ignore the differences that exist, but we can and must heal the divisions in our conference with work, time, and trust,” McCarthy said.
