The Californian promises the Republican party ‘will be more effective, more efficient and definitely the government is going to be more accountable’
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy bangs his gavel for the first time after being elected in a late night 15th round of voting on the fourth day of the 118th Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, the US, January 7 2023. Picture: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/REUTERS
The 57-year-old Californian showed tenacity in pushing through 15 rounds of voting and dismantling what had been a cadre of 20 right-wing hardline opponents, finding compromises that would pull most of them into his camp. He told reporters on Friday night that he would be a more effective leader because of the drawn-out process.
McCarthy agreed to major concessions to secure a role that is second in line to the Oval Office behind Democratic vice-president Kamala Harris, including a rule that means that any of the 435 members of the House could force a vote for his removal at any time. But compromise will be necessary in a divided government, and McCarthy’s concessions raise the risk that the two parties could fail to reach a deal when the federal government comes up against its $31.4-trillion debt limit later this year. Failure to reach agreement, or even a long standoff, could bring a default that would shake the global economy.
But the speaker’s post has proved to be a formidable challenge for Republicans in recent years, with John Boehner resigning from the position in 2015 after a struggle with rebellious conservatives.
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