House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy scrambled to salvage his bid for speaker Thursday morning, offering his detractors a simpler way to oust him should he ultimately win the election for the job.
(Bloomberg) — House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy scrambled to salvage his bid for speaker Thursday morning, offering his detractors a simpler way to oust him should he ultimately win the election for the job.
The California Republican’s last batch of concessions threaten to weaken his power in the chamber and his ability to control hard-liners in his party, raising the risk of chaos on issues like the debt ceiling and government spending. But it may be the only way that McCarthy, who abandoned a bid for speaker in 2015, can get the job.
During another round of closed-door horse trading, McCarthy offered a group of GOP dissidents one of their biggest demands — lowering the number of members needed to bring forth a motion to vacate the chair — to just one lawmaker, a person familiar with the talks said.
The parliamentary rule that dates back more than 200 years, as it now stands, requires half of the House GOP to forward such a motion to remove the leader. Changing that to just one lawmaker would leave the speaker, the second-in-line to the presidency, facing potential repetitive attempts for removal.
McCarthy previously offered to lower the number of lawmakers needed to make the motion to vacate to five.
The House is set to reconvene at noon, but another person familiar with the negotiations said there is uncertainty about whether a seventh speaker vote will immediately begin. McCarthy has faced two days of House floor balloting without gaining a majority of votes, which he needs in the face of unified Democratic opposition.
McCarthy said Wednesday night he’s making “progress” in talks with his GOP opponents. But the latest concessions show that, if he succeeds, he’s paying a steep price.
In 2015, a motion to vacate was filed against former Speaker John Boehner, a Republican who resigned from office before the vote was held.
McCarthy has also offered to meet demands to seat some far-right conservatives on plum committees, including at least two of them on the House Rules Committee; they had been seeking four.
In addition, votes on term limits and border security have been promised, and additional budget and appropriations changes are being discussed, along with specific subcommittee chairmanships.
Still, even supporters say it will be difficult for McCarthy to get 218 votes, which would meet the required 50% plus one vote threshold to get elected.
Republicans hold a 222 to 212 seat advantage, but with 20 Republicans opposing him, he’s fallen far short of that, and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has even pulled more votes. At least four Republicans have said they will not vote for McCarthy no matter what.
But a person involved said there’s talk of enticing some of those Republicans to back McCarthy, and then convincing some others to simply not vote for anyone — lowering the majority threshold. That would reduce the total number of votes McCarthy would need.
Democrats, meanwhile, are watching it all unfold.
“He’s given away everything, including his dignity, so I don’t know what else he has left to give away,” Massachusetts Democrat Jim McGovern said Wednesday night.
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