Tag: Kevin McCarthy

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Congress GOP The Karma Is Gonna Get Ya

Jamie Raskin Mocks McCarthy: Karma From Jan. 6 Led To Your ‘Once-In-A-Century Humiliation’ Today

In what may well go down as one of the most humiliating days for any member of Congress in the history of the American republic, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) failed to win the 218 votes needed from the House Republican caucus that would have made him the next Speaker of the House.

According to NPR, McCarthy now holds a dubious honor.

Tuesday’s vote was the first time in a century that the election of a House speaker took multiple ballots to complete. The longest vote in U.S. history took place in 1855, lasting 133 rounds over two months, from December 1855 to February 1856.

McCarthy faces a Republican bloc of critics who want changes to the way the House operates. Although he’s given in to many of their demands, he remains short of the votes needed.

Instead of celebrating their return to the majority on the first day, McCarthy and other GOP leaders were sorting out how to respond to an open rebellion that showcased division and cast doubt on their ability to govern.

Right-wing members of the GOP caucus vowed Monday they would not budge and will never support McCarthy.

For his part, McCarthy suggested he would not withdraw his name from consideration, even though that might be the only way he can prevent further humiliation, telling reporters:

“They can go through whoever they want to go through, and they’ll come to the conclusion that they don’t, they can’t get there.”

But according to Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the only person to blame for McCarthy’s predicament is McCarthy himself.

Raskin, who served on the January 6 House Select Committee, mocked McCarthy via Twitter, reminding him that the reason for his failure lies with the person he sees whenever he looks in the mirror.

“This once-in-a-century humiliation of a party’s nominee for Speaker is chickens coming home to roost for McCarthy, who whitewashed right-wing insurrectionism on the House floor. Nobody’s getting killed now, but the House GOP now sleeps in the bed they made with Trump and Bannon.”

Exactly. Perfectly stated. Thank you, Congressman Raskin, for saying what we were all thinking.

Categories
Congress Elections GOP

McCarthy Moving Into Speaker’s Chambers Even Though He Doesn’t Have The Votes Needed

Even though he doesn’t have the votes he needs to be elected Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is moving into the Speaker’s office, a move that could come back to humiliate him if someone else winds up being the next Speaker.

The Daily Mail reports that staffers for McCarthy were seen moving his belongings to the office of the Speaker.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters Tuesday would be a ‘good day’ after his staff spent Monday morning moving his office furniture into the Speaker’s chambers.

Looking somewhat stressed on Monday afternoon, the California Republican was rushing out of the US Capitol when reporters asked him about the following day’s House-wide vote to elect their chamber’s leader.

McCarthy’s campaign for the gavel has been somewhat bumpy for weeks, but the pressure has ramped up in the final 48 hours with as many as 15 GOP members allegedly ready to vote against him. He can only lose four votes to still clinch victory.

Earlier that day, his staff had been seen moving belongings and wheeling carts into the House Speaker’s office at the US Capitol. 

CNN notes that the rearranging of furniture and other belongings is “standard procedure,” but it could prove embarrassing if McCarthy isn’t able to get the votes he needs to be Speaker of the House.

Will McCarthy be able to cobble together a coalition of House Republicans who are willing to see him as Speaker? That seems unlikely based on reports of recent meetings by members of the GOP House caucus, with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) telling reporters Monday that he was still a “no” vote on elevating McCarthy to the top spot.

If McCarthy fails to get the needed majority, it could well spell the end of the Republican House agenda before they even get to any legislating. Then again, that’s probably what’s best for the country in the long run.

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Capitol Insurrection Congress January 6 Justice Department

Jordan And McCarthy Are ‘Quite Likely’ Under Investigation By DOJ For Their Role In Jan. 6: Report

As they prepare to take control of powerful committees and leadership positions in the House, two members of the new Republican majority are also facing serious legal jeopardy, according to former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade.

McQuade said that Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) are facing serious scrutiny for their roles in the January 6, 2022 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to Newsweek.

The biggest threat to both men, according to McQuade, is what the Justice Department may have planned for them.

“I think they’re quite likely under investigation. Jim Jordan and Kevin McCarthy, I mean we know that they were having direct communications with Donald Trump on January 6. At this point, I suppose they [the January 6 committee] consider them to be witnesses, but I think they’d want to know what they have to say.”

Additionally, McQuade said that Jordan and McCarthy may be invited for a interview by DOJ officials. If they refuse, a subpoena for their testimony before a grand jury will likely be used to “compel” their cooperation.

The House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection released an 845-page report on Thursday which mentiones Jordan as a”significant player” in Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election:

“He participated in numerous post-election meetings in which senior White House officials, Rudolph Giuliani, and others, discussed strategies for challenging the election, chief among them claims that the election had been tainted by fraud.”

The Jan. 6 panel subpoenaed Jordan earlier this year, but he failed to comply and appear for a scheduled deposition on May 27.

McQuade noted that while it’s controversial for the DOJ to go after members of Congress, it’s not unprecedented.

“It’s highly sensitive to go after information from a sitting member of Congress, but they’re not being targeted because they’re members of Congress, they’re being targeted because of their conduct and conversations with Donald Trump on January 6.”

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Congress GOP U.S. Senate

McCarthy Threatens GOP Senators As His Bid To Be Speaker Continues To Tank

For a man who is seeing his political future fall apart with each passing day, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is certainly taking an abrasive tone with his GOP colleagues in the U.S. Senate.

Specifically, McCarthy is telling Senate Republicans that if they vote for the federal budget that will keep the government open, none of their bills will be brought before the House in retaliation.

On Monday, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) issued the original threat to Republicans in the U.S. Senate, sending out a letter in which he urged them not to vote in favor of the federal budget bill making its way through the upper chamber.

The letter reads:

“The American People did not elect us — any of us — to continue the status quo in Washington, as this bill will undoubtedly do.

“Further, we are obligated to inform you that if any omnibus passes in the remaining days of this Congress, we will oppose and whip opposition to any legislative priority of those Senators who vote for this bill — including the Republican leader. We will oppose any rule, any consent request, suspension voice vote, or roll call vote of any such Senate bill, and will otherwise do everything in our power to thwart even the smallest legislative and policy efforts of those senators.”

That led McCarthy to add his own two cents into the matter, retweeting Roy’s letter along with this message:

“Agreed. Except no need to whip—when I’m Speaker, their bills will be dead on arrival in the House if this nearly $2T monstrosity is allowed to move forward over our objections and the will of the American people.”

What exactly is going on here? Is McCarthy trying to act like a tough guy in a last-ditch effort to appear resolute?

CNN’s Melanie Zanona offered an explanation.

“McCarthy has been facing pressure from his right flank to take a harder line on the spending bill and stand up to [Senate Leader Mitch] McConnell and the Senate GOP.”

The problem for McCarthy, however is that he’s operating from a position of weakness at the moment. After all, if you cannot manage to wrangle 218 votes to make you Speaker of the House, what are the chances you can get your caucus to agree on anything?

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Congress GOP

McCarthy Gets Called A ‘Punk’ After Matt Gaetz Humiliates Him At GOP Caucus Meeting

The Republicans who will supposedly control Congress beginning in November are currently engaged in a very uncivil war that suggests their party has become so factionalized that they may not be able to reach a consensus on anything.

For example, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is trying to line up the 218 votes he needs to be the next Speaker of the House, but all around him many in the extreme right MAGA wing of the GOP are making it clear they will do everything within their power to guarantee that never happens.

That’s the case with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who angrily announced this week that he is doing everything possible to kneecap McCarthy before the first vote for Speaker is ever taken, telling convicted felon and former Trump administration official Steve Bannon:

“When someone says, I will never leave, it isn’t exactly the battle cry of an inspirational leader. It sounds more like someone who can’t accept a breakup. In the case of Kevin McCarthy and the Republican conference, this is no no fault divorce. There are things Kevin McCarthy did to erode the trust of the members he needs to vote for him if he wants to be speaker.”

The Florida Republican added:

“While you see various spasms of conservatism or purported conservatism directed at big tech or [Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas], remember that Kevin McCarthy has been holding up a shield to protect some of the dangerous elements of society that have harmed conservatives. And I don’t think that he has passed the test of leadership.”

Gaetz’s remarks were the topic of discussion Sunday on MSNBC, with former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele telling host Jonathan Capehart that a tweet Gaetz sent this week in which he called McCarthy “Cavin’ McCarthy” is proof positive that McCarthy has become little more than a punk.

“Everybody knows a punk when they see one. That’s — I’m sorry — that’s the tweet after the meeting?”

The former RNC chief continued, “No, you ain’t got nothing, you hold nothing. You’ve got nothing, right?”

“Can I punk you in your face enough? Can I look at you and just go ‘Man — nah, I aint’ going to deal with it, caving Kevin.’ It’s, it’s the groveling. What type of leader do you think he’s going to be if that’s in your caucus? A member of your caucus thinks that about you?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=61Pb-AefC18&feature=emb_logo