White House avoids discussing McCarthy’s hot seat.
The White House Keeps a Close Eye on House Speaker Replacement Campaign
The White House is closely monitoring the campaign to replace House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) but is refraining from getting involved in the brewing fight within the Republican caucus.
After successfully working with Democrats to pass a continuing resolution that funds the government for the next 45 days, McCarthy now faces a motion to vacate the speakership introduced by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) on Monday night. This motion could potentially reach the floor later this week.
Opposing Views on Ukraine Funding
Gaetz and other members of the Freedom Caucus strongly oppose providing Ukraine with additional funding to repel Russian invaders, viewing it as a “blank check.” On the other hand, McCarthy has been a vocal supporter of the Biden administration’s Ukraine policy.
The White House’s Stance
During Monday’s press briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced numerous questions regarding Gaetz’s threat. However, she consistently emphasized that the president is not taking sides in this feud.
“He does not have a vote on this matter. It is something for House Republicans to decide,” she stated. “That is something we do not get involved in when it comes to the leadership conversation. That is something for House Democrats, House Republicans in this particular instance, to decide.”
Alleged Back-Channel Deal
On Monday, Gaetz claimed that McCarthy and Biden had made a back-channel deal to bring new aid to Ukraine for a vote. Despite specific requests from the White House, the continuing resolution and previous iterations proposed by Republicans did not include additional funding for Ukraine. The president had suggested on Sunday that he and McCarthy had reached an agreement on Ukraine before he signed the stopgap funding resolution.
However, Jean-Pierre avoided addressing the alleged deal directly and declined to confirm the accuracy of the president’s remarks.
Democrats See an Advantage
While the White House is unlikely to intervene in McCarthy’s hold over the House caucus, national Democrats view the situation as beneficial heading into an election year.
“What’s on display right now is just the quintessential shit show that is the House Republican caucus. Every day they show to the American people why they can’t govern, and it’s been pretty consistent for 10 months,” a senior Democratic official told the Washington Examiner.
“I think it helps us. It helps us make the argument we are making about the Republican Party right now, which is that they are beholden to Donald Trump and that they are much more concerned with the issues that are on Fox News on any given day than governing,” the official continued. “That is a big part of the argument that we are making against the Republican Party writ large, and then we just have so much evidence that they give us every single day to further advance our argument. So yeah, it helps us to remind the American people of the issues in the Republican Party and how extreme they are.”
Surprisingly, a senior Republican congressional aide agreed with this sentiment.
“We’ve got members more concerned with booking themselves on Fox or Newsmax than working as a group to actually bring down spending, and the American public is going to be the one paying the cost,” the aide told the Washington Examiner. “It gives Democrats that much more ammo, not only in the presidential election but here on the Hill too. What are those people going to say when we get stuck with four more years of Biden and a new Democrat majority in the House? It’s embarrassing, to be honest.”
Democrats’ Response to Gaetz’s Threat
Over the weekend, national Democrats avoided addressing Gaetz’s long-standing threat against McCarthy.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) evaded the question before the passage of the 45-day continuing resolution.
“We haven’t given any thought to how to handle a hypothetical motion to vacate,” he told reporters. “We are entirely focused on making sure that we avoid this extreme MAGA Republican shutdown.”
A motion to vacate would require a majority floor vote of 218 “ayes” to pass. Since the anti-McCarthy faction only has around 20 members at best, Gaetz and his supporters would need the majority of Democrats to oust the speaker.
2) What are some potential candidates to replace Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker?
N Post. “This infighting gives us an advantage as we head into the midterm elections.”
The Future of the House Speaker
Should McCarthy be ousted as House Speaker, potential candidates to replace him include Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA).
Jordan, a founding member of the Freedom Caucus, would likely bring a more conservative agenda to the speakership. Stefanik, who gained prominence for her defense of former President Donald Trump during his first impeachment trial, could offer a fresh, younger perspective. Scalise, currently the House Minority Whip, has strong support within the caucus and could potentially maintain the status quo.
Conclusion
The White House is closely observing the campaign to replace House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as tensions rise within the Republican caucus. Despite differing views on Ukraine funding between McCarthy and Rep. Matt Gaetz, the White House has chosen to stay out of the internal disagreement. Allegations of a back-channel deal between McCarthy and President Biden have surfaced, however, the White House has not clarified the situation. Democrats see the infighting within the Republican caucus as an advantage heading into the midterm elections. As the potential replacement for McCarthy is considered, candidates such as Jim Jordan, Elise Stefanik, and Steve Scalise are seen as strong contenders. The future of the House Speaker remains uncertain, and the White House will continue to monitor developments closely.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Now loading...