McCarthy Blames 2018 Loss On GOP Health Care Bill, Far-Right Members

US Representative Kevin McCarthy speaks following the Republican nomination election for House speaker in the Longworth House Office Building on October 8, 2015 in Washington, DC. The Republican frontrunner to be the... US Representative Kevin McCarthy speaks following the Republican nomination election for House speaker in the Longworth House Office Building on October 8, 2015 in Washington, DC. The Republican frontrunner to be the new speaker of the US House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, abruptly dropped out of the race Thursday, lawmakers said, amid a revolt by the party's hard-line conservatives. AFP PHOTO/MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The Washington Post obtained recordings of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaking to donors last week, in which he blamed Republicans’ 2018 losses on the GOP health care bill and the far-right members of the caucus.

He said that the schisms within the Republican party caused the party to bungle its attempt to repeal Obamacare, which colored the issue for GOP candidates in 2018.

“…There was one issue we lost overwhelmingly: it was health care by 66 points,” McCarthy said of the 2018 midterms. “Had we lost health care just by 34 points, we’d still be in the majority. We’d have those other 80,000 votes that we needed.”

He also pointed out the various Freedom Caucus candidates who lost their elections in 2018, and promised that the establishment is trying to recruit candidates who will try to “find a solution.”

“It was kind of the policies that they wouldn’t let go through of why they lost,” McCarthy said of the Freedom Caucus members who lost. “And I think those seats are better for us to win, but also the quality of the candidate will matter more.”

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. These clowns were so intent on appealing to the hard-right faction, who apparently operate under the bizarre assumption that Americans don’t want access to cheaper health insurance and loved the old system where insurance companies would deny coverage to someone who needs it, made their own bed with their ongoing assault on the ACA.

    McCarthy is one of the dimmer bulbs in the GOP - and that’s saying something given the general dimwittery of The Stupid Party - but he’s right on this analysis.

  2. I guess McCarthy knew it would get back to the White House had he laid the blame where it belongs.

    On Trump. Period

  3. and

    https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/05/03/526771424/is-the-gop-health-bill-morphing-into-yet-another-big-federal-program

    “House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday evening that they are confident in having enough votes to pass the bill in its latest form early Thursday afternoon.

  4. What brilliant, incisive political analysis. Kevin McCarthy is truly vying with Louis Gohmert to be the stupidest person in Congress.

  5. Down here in GA the R’s were scared shitless by the 2018 election. We’re going to get Medicaid expansion before the 2020 election, no doubt.

    I’m not sure if that will be enough to save them. Especially if Trump or Pence is also on the ballot.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

58 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for daveminnj Avatar for marby Avatar for eggrollian Avatar for epicurus Avatar for rollinnolan Avatar for irasdad Avatar for inversion Avatar for dont Avatar for sonsofares Avatar for 26degreesrising Avatar for lastroth Avatar for ronbyers Avatar for jaybeeraybee Avatar for tena Avatar for texastwostep Avatar for dday52 Avatar for tsp Avatar for pachydermicneedler Avatar for jacksonhts Avatar for dannydorko Avatar for spin Avatar for dangnewt Avatar for alabamaken

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: