McCarthy Fights To Win U.S. Speakership As GOP Solons Dump Him

House Republicans courted chaos Tuesday on the opening day of the new Congress, with GOP leader Kevin McCarthy sparring behind closed doors with a group of right-flank conservatives who are refusing to give him their votes to become House speaker, Lisa Mascaro reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: McCarthy was reported to have cursed his foes, who called his impassioned speech “bullshit” and maintained they would not vote for him.

Even before Congress convened, the scene playing out on Capitol Hill was one of upheaval and uncertainty.

The standoff means McCarthy, after having led his party to a narrow Republican majority, was grasping for his political survival, trying to avoid being the first nominee for speaker in 100 years to fail to win an initial vote for the gavel.

McCarthy arrived at a closed-door meeting of House Republicans and vowed to fight to the finish — even if it takes multiple tries in a high-stakes public spectacle that would underscore divisions in his party and weaken its leadership in the first days of the new Congress.

McCarthy was reported to have cursed his foes, who called his impassioned speech “bullshit” and maintained they would not vote for him, as CNN and other media outlets reported.

“We went out to the American public with a commitment to America to fight for them, not for a few members,” said McCarthy, as he entered a closed-door morning meeting of House Republicans lashing out at detractors.

Lawmakers were convening Tuesday in a new era of divided government as Democrats relinquish control of the House after midterm election losses. While the Senate remains in Democratic hands, barely, House Republicans were eager to confront President Joe Biden’s agenda after two years of a Democratic Party monopoly on power in Washington.

The GOP has 222 seats at the Lower House, including the controversial Rep. George Santos of New York, who has admitted to lying about his academic credentials, his career as a “finance” man, his Jewish heritage, and even his being gay since he had actually married and divorced his wife.

He also faces a criminal suit in Brazil, where he is wanted for stealing a checkbook and using it to purchase a number of items.

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