McCarthy Makes Major Concessions. Is It Enough to Win Him the Gavel?

Kevin McCarthy made a series of concessions late Wednesday in an attempt to earn votes from members of his party who have held out supporting his speakership bid. The congressman so far has failed in six separate attempts to reach the votes necessary to make him speaker of the House, even with a late endorsement from Donald Trump.

According to Politico, McCarthy agreed to allow a one-member “motion to vacate,” which would lower the threshold of members needed to call a vote to remove a speaker to one. Previously, McCarthy had proposed that five members would be required to call for a no confidence vote in a speaker. Especially with the growing dissent among Republicans, allowing just one member to bring a motion to vacate could put the speaker in a precarious position, forcing them to live under the constant threat of a vote that could end their speakership.

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In another concession, McCarthy will give two members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus seats on the influential Rules Committee, which decides which bills come to the floor for a vote as well as the order of the votes. McCarthy also agreed to bring a vote on limiting members of Congress to three terms, a move to appease Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). McCarthy further agreed to alter the appropriations process to allow a standalone vote on each appropriations bill and would let any member offer amendments on those bills.

The Congressional Leadership Fund PAC, which is aligned with McCarthy, also struck an agreement Wednesday with the conservative Club for Growth, which had initially opposed McCarthy’s speakership bid. The CLF said it would not spend its own money or help other super PACs inject money into open-seat primaries in safe GOP districts.

Even with these concessions, it is unclear whether McCarthy has garnered enough support to become speaker. He can only lose four GOP votes and still win the gavel, but a Republican aide told Politico that five Republican representatives are still adamantly opposed to him: Reps. Andy Biggs, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good, and Matt Rosendale. “I’m ready to vote all night, all week, all month, and never for that person,” Gaetz said Wednesday night.

Rep. Good reiterated his position Thursday morning. “I’m absolutely a no,” he told reporters. “You don’t ever have to ask me again. I will never vote for Kevin McCarthy.”

The House is scheduled to return for a third day of speaker votes at 12 p.m. on Thursday.

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