Despite impeachment move, McCarthy faces threat as US House speaker

Kevin McCarthy Faces Fractured Caucus Amid Threat to Role as Top Republican in Congress

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will confront a fractured caucus on Wednesday, with his role as the top Republican in Congress under threat from the far right, despite giving hardline conservatives the Impeachment inquiry they wanted.

The Impeachment Inquiry

McCarthy yielded to weeks of pressure from hardliners and allies of former President Donald Trump by launching a formal probe of Democratic President Joe Biden. This move bypassed the opposition of as many as 20 House Republicans who were against the action, avoiding a floor vote that likely would have failed.

Challenges to McCarthy’s Leadership

Despite McCarthy’s concessions, hardline Representative Matt Gaetz raised the possibility of ousting McCarthy under the terms of a deal he agreed to when becoming speaker. Gaetz highlighted a secret agreement that allowed McCarthy to become speaker in January, giving any one member the power to call a vote for his removal. Gaetz stated that the speaker could face multiple votes on motions to “vacate the chair” for failing to comply with this agreement.

Pressure on McCarthy to Address Conservative Priorities

As Congress approaches a deadline to avoid a government shutdown, House hardliners are urging McCarthy to include border security provisions and other conservative priorities in any short-term stopgap spending measure to keep federal agencies afloat. Representative Chip Roy confirmed that McCarthy had not taken action on various measures, including a balanced budget, term limits, the full release of videotapes from the Capitol attack, and a subpoena of Hunter Biden.

Hardliners’ Focus on Spending Targets

While questions arose about McCarthy’s future as speaker, Representative Clay Higgins emphasized the importance of passing appropriations bills that cut spending to a fiscal 2022 level of $1.47 trillion. However, centrist Republicans oppose such deep cuts.

Pressure on the Democratic-led Senate

McCarthy is not only under pressure from hardliners to enact Republican appropriations bills with deep cuts, but also to push the lower spending levels onto the Democratic-led Senate. The Senate has begun moving forward its own spending legislation.

Hardliners’ Disappointment

While hardliners are generally unwilling to openly threaten McCarthy’s future, they have made it clear that they would be deeply disappointed if he decided to avoid a government shutdown with the support of House Democrats. Representative Ralph Norman, a prominent member of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, described it as a “sad day for America.”

Reporting by David Morgan; additional reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Scott Malone and Stephen Coates

Read More of this Story at www.reuters.com – 2023-09-13 01:29:00