Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA) said he’s “earned” the job of speaker of the House in a tense Republican conference meeting before Tuesday’s speaker vote.
The embattled No. 1 House Republican gave a speech making the case for why he should have the gavel, telling his Republican colleagues that he’s “earned this goddamn job,” according to sources in the room, who said his remarks received a standing ovation. He pledged to stay and fight for the job even if very few members stand with him.
MCCARTHY’S FIVE BIGGEST RULES CONCESSIONS IN BID TO BECOME SPEAKER
“Everyone is fiery. None more than Kevin!” a McCarthy supporter said of the speech.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), one of his detractors, reportedly yelled, “This is bulls***,” after McCarthy’s remarks.
After the meeting, McCarthy told reporters he is prepared for a “battle on the floor” as exiting detractors told the press “nothing has changed” in the race.
House conference meeting sounding animated, with one source in the room saying McCarthy told the conference “I’ve earned this job.”
— Juliegrace Brufke (@juliegraceb) January 3, 2023
“
Firey speech by Kevin (used GD ?)
He will negotiate no more.
He will stay and fight on the floor if there are only 4 standing with him,” another source in the room tells me.— Juliegrace Brufke (@juliegraceb) January 3, 2023
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McCarthy said the time for negotiating is over after he made major concessions to the Freedom Caucus in the rules package. These concessions include lowering the threshold for rank-and-file members to force a vote on ousting party leaders and a commitment to ideological diversity on committees. Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), a leading voice against McCarthy for speaker, said McCarthy didn’t go far enough and had declined to put specific caucus members on committees.
At the vote later Tuesday, McCarthy needs the support of a majority of members voting and present in order to become speaker. With Democrats set on voting for Minority Leader-elect Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), that leaves McCarthy very little wiggle room to lose any of the 222 Republican votes. At least four and as many as 18 Republicans have said they’ll withhold their votes.
