House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been and continues to skate on very thin ice as he just can’t seem to meet eye to eye with members in either party. Rumors continue to swirl that members of the House may attempt to boot McCarthy from his position as speaker however, one Democrat has just extended a helping hand…but only for the right price.
In order to secure his position as Speaker of the House, Republican Kevin McCarthy must receive near-unanimous backing from Democrats in order to avoid an attempt by conservative Republicans to vacate the speaker’s chair.
Fortunately for him, Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA), the minority whip, promised she could marshal enough votes amongst her caucus members to help keep him safe from being replaced by another candidate.
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McCarthy’s House speakership hangs by a thread as US shutdown loomsJoan E Grevein Washington
Hard-right Republicans have made clear that if Kevin McCarthy cuts a deal with the Democrats to fund the government, he may be ousted
— Rob Stokes (@RobertVincentS5) September 22, 2023
In exchange for this promise however, Clark intends to force McCarthy into agreeing upon certain things such as aid towards Ukraine and ongoing negotiations between himself and the White House over avoiding a government shutdown. Not to mention, ending the impeachment inquiry he launched into President Joe Biden’s actions.
Despite having received support from both conservative lawmakers and former President Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy still faces staunch opposition by Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) who accuses him of inadequately negotiating during debt ceiling talks and giving too much ground away to Democrats when it comes time for agreement on budget cuts.
The small group of hardliners only need five votes however, before they can prevent any deal that is made between himself and President Biden from passing through the House – making it all that much more difficult for Speaker McCarthy going forward if he wants to stay in power long term.
McCarthy responded recently by confidently declaring his support among Republican colleagues remains strong enough that he will be able to withstand Matt Gaetz’ (R-FL) charge against him, yet it may prove difficult for him.
