The honeymoon is officially over with, and House Republicans are now actively considering kicking Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to the curb, according to a report from Axios.
On Thursday, The New York Times reported that McCarthy had sniped at members of his GOP leadership team.
According to The Times, McCarthy said behind closed doors that his top lieutenant, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is “ineffective, checked out and reluctant to take a position on anything.”
McCarthy also reportedly called Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Chairman of the House Budget Committee, “incompetent.”
Those remarks have led some powerful House Republicans to suggest McCarthy may need to be replaced, Axios reports.
Some angry GOP lawmakers warn that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s position could be on rocky ground after a report he blamed members of his leadership team for Republicans’ chaos over the budget.
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What they’re saying: A GOP lawmaker accused McCarthy of using Scalise and Arrington as scapegoats before budget and debt ceiling negotiations have fully imploded.
- “The members I’ve spoken with are just stunned by his rebuking of his budget chair, and certainly of our leadership,” another House Republican told Axios.
- “I can’t imagine [he will last an entire term].”
Of course, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that’s been paying attention McCarthy is facing a sudden exit from the Speaker’s chair. After all, it took 15 ballots before he was able to obtain the votes needed for the post. Getting rid of him will be significantly easier, but it does raise the question of who might replace him.
The most frequently mentioned names to keep in mind if indeed McCarthy is ousted are Scalise, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Elise Stefanik (R-NY). But could any of them muster the votes necessary to replace McCarthy?
Right now, it appears the House GOP is right where many predicted they’d be: Running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
