McCarthy Flexes His Historic Weakness As Speaker

April 27, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 19: Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is surrounded by reporters after he leaves the House Floor to return to his office at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 in Washington,... WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 19: Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is surrounded by reporters after he leaves the House Floor to return to his office at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. McCarthy delivered remarks on the House floor, accounting the GOP's debt limit bill, which they call the Limit, Save, Grow Act. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) MORE LESS
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April 27, 2023

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) squeaked his $4.8 trillion grab bag of a debt-ceiling bill through the House Wednesday. The final vote was 217-215.

The prize: The House GOP seized the debt ceiling as a hostage in negotiations with the Senate and White House.

Last week, McCarthy didn’t have a plan or the votes. He cobbled together a plan that threw nearly every far-right wish list item into a bill that didn’t go through the regular committee process and then vowed to take it to the floor before he had the votes.

Along the way, despite repeatedly vowing he wouldn’t, McCarthy once again bent to the pressure from extremists in his caucus and was forced to make changes to the bill to get it through the House Rules Committee.

With only a handful of votes to spare, McCarthy got the final holdouts to fall in line Wednesday morning.

The House-passed bill is DOA in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and President Biden has promised a veto. But passing something – anything really – was the barest minimum bar McCarthy, a historically weak speaker, had to overcome. He barely did so.

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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) squeaked his $4.8 trillion grab bag of a debt-ceiling bill through the House Wednesday. The final vote was 217-215.

The prize: The House GOP seized the debt ceiling as a hostage in negotiations with the Senate and White House.

Last week, McCarthy didn’t have a plan or the votes. He cobbled together a plan that threw nearly every far-right wish list item into a bill that didn’t go through the regular committee process and then vowed to take it to the floor before he had the votes.

Along the way, despite repeatedly vowing he wouldn’t, McCarthy once again bent to the pressure from extremists in his caucus and was forced to make changes to the bill to get it through the House Rules Committee.

With only a handful of votes to spare, McCarthy got the final holdouts to fall in line Wednesday morning.

The House-passed bill is DOA in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and President Biden has promised a veto. But passing something – anything really – was the barest minimum bar McCarthy, a historically weak speaker, had to overcome. He barely did so.

Notable Replies

  1. Whatever any GQP representative says, it’s a guarantee that they will all vote for whatever is put up.

    The only statement that matters is the response that’s made when their name is called during the vote.

    Believe none of them that say they are unswayable. There’s always a price.

  2. I’d bet that when it’s clear there’s really money on the line, this ploy is over, if not sooner.
    And, yes, I’m taking account of Qevin’s character and bathrobe tight hold on his caucus.

  3. The Republican Cult Party is willing to put our entire economy in jeopardy, our money in jeopardy if the Democrats don’t agree to serve up more pain and suffering for the poor and homeless and sick. It’s called the Republican/Christian debt ceiling plan.
    As Jesus said “harm the poor and the homeless and the sick to enter the kingdom of heaven”. From The Republican Cult Bible.

  4. Avatar for fgs fgs says:

    What a surprise, the Republican wants everyone to pay a buck a gallon more for premium, ethanol-free gas in our chainsaw, lawnmower and recreational small engines, and in every luxury and sports care that is manufacturer-specified to run on premium.

  5. anyone else think that McCarthy’s debt ceiling negotiation is like the kidnappers bargaining for the ransom of Red Chief* :skull:

    • thanks for the corrections

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