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House Speaker Update

By Mike Huckabee

January 5, 2023
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After six votes Wednesday, holdouts were still refusing to back Rep. Kevin McCarthy, and the House voted to adjourn and reconvene later today. Reports are that negotiations continued last night with some possible progress. The New York Times, citing confidential sources, claims that McCarthy “privately agreed to more demands from the right-wing rebels that he had previously refused to countenance, including allowing a single lawmaker to force a snap vote at any time to oust him from the speakership.”

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/01/05/us/house-speaker-vote?campaign_id=190&emc=edit_ufn_20230105&instance_id=81893&nl=from-the-times&regi_id=185440375&segment_id=121640&te=1&user_id=e72989d1d346165df7b3f4d8aabe2fdd

McCarthy has offered an astounding number of concessions, listed here by Victoria Taft at PJ Media.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/victoria-taft/2023/01/05/here-are-the-latest-deals-kevin-mccarthy-has-made-to-become-speaker-n1658804

The Club For Growth has also reportedly cut a deal with a super PAC associated with McCarthy that could result in them endorsing him as Speaker.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/01/04/speaker-race-breakthrough-mccarthy-pac-agrees-conservatives-no-spending-safe-open-seat-primaries/

Fox News has comments from Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, the latest alternative proposed for McCarthy.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-speaker-race-rep-elect-byron-donalds-responds-retribution-running-against-kevin-mccarthy

As noted in the article, until there’s a Speaker, the new House can’t even be sworn in, so this is preventing necessary action from being taken on many fronts. 

McCarthy’s detractors still have no alternative candidate who is more conservative and can attract enough votes to win. They keep pointing to the last time conservatives forced McCarthy to withdraw in 2015, but back then, a dark horse “unity” candidate stepped forward and won. Considering that was Paul Ryan, whom they now vilify as a squishy, Trump-hating RINO, it’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for this strategy.

This is a continuing (and continuing!) story, so keep checking the regularly updated Fox News feed for the latest developments.

https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/house-speaker-vote

One thing to note:  While the 10% wants to rule over the 90% (who has ever allowed that or thought it was the way elections work?), it’s revealing that some of the holdouts have said in interviews that what they are “demanding” of Kevin McCarthy is that they get choice committee assignments and a promise they won’t be punished for their attempted coup.  That’s not only delusional, but very telling.  If a person is objecting by sheer principle, one is willing to suffer whatever the consequences for the rebellion.  When a person says, “Hey, this is about ME…protecting MY position, MY role in leadership, and MY being able to take any shot I want at 90% of my colleagues and have no consequence other than being rewarded.”  THAT my friend is NOT acting on “principle.”  It’s a selfish act of a power grab and publicity stunt.  Reward THAT behavior and you’ll keep getting more of it in the future.

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Comments 71-80 of 110

  • Jim Perry

    01/05/2023 01:42 PM

    Mike,

    I couldn't disagree with you more. Yes the logic works in your criticisms but ignoring the point. We the people remember McCarthy. it's irrelevant what congressmen sorry him. The reason he's not wanted is the swamp people, of which at least 60% of all in Congress are, betray us over and over. There's always some piddly excuse or statement that it's better than the Democrats but that's a straw argument. We are sick of waiting and supporting to get no where. McCarthy is a lousy candidate. There's video evidence of his many betrayals and lots of us don't want him. The only Republican worse is McConnell.

  • Don Henry

    01/05/2023 01:38 PM

    Your commentary reflects an understandable position, but there needs to be room for negotiation and reform. The establishment GOP has failed to represent the American people, so it's not accurate to characterize this as a power grab by a few. Look at what is happening in popular opinion among patriotic conservatives, and don't let the Marxist, gas-lighting accusers in MSM short-change important changes needed to reform WA and drain the swamp. God bless you.

  • Larry Downum

    01/05/2023 01:36 PM

    Get President Trump to become SPEAKER!!! Polosi and Schumer's head will explode!! I would LOVE to see President Trump in the Speakers position!! I think he would be GREAT!!

  • Jill Murphy

    01/05/2023 01:35 PM

    i’m surprised to see you, a staunch conservative, to see you rallying around McCartht so quickly when i imagine that you agree with most of what the 20 conservatives are rallying behind. We will have a speaker and if it takes a few extra days, but in the meantime McCarthy bends toward conservatism, then that is only a good thing. It helps to turn up back from RINO policies and those who cave in to the whims of the left.

  • Elva Rush

    01/05/2023 01:33 PM

    The people voted and so sad that now that they control congress cannot be united. Tired of so much bickering of the republican. LET US BE UNITED. Why the democrats are enjoying this bickering to elect the leader. What a disappointed to the voters.

  • Paul Vanderburg

    01/05/2023 01:21 PM

    My gut tells me Kevin is lying again!

  • Steve Fettinger DAV USN (SS)

    01/05/2023 01:18 PM

    Thank you Sir for the update

  • Lucian Conte

    01/05/2023 01:18 PM

    Hello Mike, Just wanted to express my feelings and thoughts. I feel that the Democratic party has a leader and they stick together and get their bad bills passed (such as the recent Omnibus). Our GOP congress does not have a leader because the Speaker of the House should have been picked like two months ago and should have only had one vote so we can install that person on the first day. We could also have picked the special committee members prior to this day.
    The bad part that I see with the GOP party is not that they are split but how some of the congress people who are calling the McCarthy nay sayers: Terrorists, the Taliban 20, and enemy of the people...sounds like those nay sayers will be punished later on down the line. We need to be able to communicate behind closed doors with all GOP members present to hash the pick of Speaker of the House and what is expected of the Speaker. Calling people names is not a good way to unify the party.
    What if the naysayers are standing up to the Swamp and are being bullied to vote against their beliefs. Those naysayers who are using this platform at this moment to capitalize their selfish agenda needs to be exposed and chastised (Closure).
    Our founding fathers took like 13 years to craft our Constitution and this was their idea of picking the speaker of the house. Now once we get through this we need Congress to create a new bill to be ratified to change this process of picking the speaker...Until then we need to place our faith in our forefather's who created the Constitution!
    WE need a leader who can unify the whole entire party and lead the USA back on track to prosperity. Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!
    Best Wishes
    Lucian

  • Thomas Smith

    01/05/2023 01:16 PM

    Again, Governor, I disagree with your final conclusion. I hope you have entertained the idea that the "principled" stance for "choice committee assignments" is a way to insure that truly a "principled" agenda is enacted and not more of the swampy: "We are going to investigate...." then nothing will happen?
    That's what I believe is happening. Call that political naivety but that's what I believe is happening. It's time to stop the "go along to get along" mentality.
    Thomas Smith

  • Grace A Blair

    01/05/2023 01:15 PM

    McCarthy's close ties with Donald Trump is costing him on both sides of the aisle. When Trump tried to drain the swamp, the alligators charged after him. And now they are trying to devour him. McCarthy tried to save Trump and in the process alienated supporters. McCarthy needs to declare a strategy away from Trump. If the Republicans were as close knit at the Democrats and had a agenda they might be able to get McCarthy done. "If" is a mythological being that does not exist. Oh the waste of time and money.

Mike Huckabee

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