How Kevin McCarthy survived the revolt to become House speaker
as lacking the “means to measure whether promises are kept or broken.” His offer of allowing rank-and-file amendments to budget bills contained an escape hatch for the Rules Committee, under the speaker’s control, to waive the process. And his version of the investigative committee lacked the jurisdiction and powers that the Freedom Caucus wanted, which was something modeled after the
McCarthy pledged in a letter sent to colleagues to “work with everyone in our party to build conservative consensus,” but he stressed the need for the conference to unite around a proposed rules package that would dictate how the House governs over the next two years. “That was unhelpful,” one Republican involved in the process said. “That has become one of the central things that has put them in a corner. It wasn’t McCarthy saying it.”
From the beginning, the holdouts planned to defeat McCarthy first and only then discuss alternatives, since any individual challenger would present more complications than the generic “not McCarthy.” Starting with Biggs and Jordan, in later rounds of balloting they switched their votes to other, more consensus-oriented, nominees, hoping to attract more defectors.
“He would call some of these guys and they’d listen but wouldn’t make any commitments,” one Trump adviser said. “It’s a combination of a couple things: Conservatives are hungry for a win, and true believers are going to stick to their guns.” Around the same time, the select group of moderates and conservatives gathered in Emmer’s office for what became the therapy session. Those in the room with McCarthy, Emmer, and Jordan were Fitzpatrick), Joyce, and Johnson representing the pragmatic wing, and Roy, Perry, Byron Donalds and, briefly, Ralph Norman from the holdouts. Gaetz and Boebert were not invited to the gathering but showed up before they were ushered into another room in Emmer’s large office wing.
Moderates had pledged they would never support a one-vote motion to vacate, and knew that such a proposal would mean going back to the scores of “Only Kevin” colleagues to win them over. “We got everything we wanted in terms of a paradigm shift in the House of Representatives,” Vought said. “Setting up various fights on the budget and debt limit, the Church-style committee — these are all the things we were pushing. This 20 is now its own coalition in the House. They were able to stick together through thick and thin and hold out for significant reforms. They showed the extent to which a muscular approach to these leverage points are vital.
Republicans adjourned in the afternoon until 10 p.m. Friday to give them plenty of hours to pressure the remaining holdouts into flipping and allow two McCarthy allies to return in time to help his math by casting their supportive vote.When the House reconvened for the 14th ballot, everything indicated that McCarthy and his team thought this was the one. His wife, family members and friends were watching in the gallery’s VIP suites.
“Just make a deal” was Trump’s message for days, according to several people familiar with his calls to lawmakers. He didn’t understand why some members were so opposed and he was not particularly interested in the particulars. “It’s a bad look for everybody,” he said to at least one member about the days-long fight.
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