Former House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), 57, lost another three rounds of voting today for House Speaker, with three more Republican defecting from McCarthty. Conservative House Republicans went over the deep end seeking first-term, 44-year-old Byron Donalds (R-Fl) as their new House Speaker choice showing that the Party needs to sanction GOP renegades. It’s one thing to not support McCarthy, it’s another to throw support to a neophyte Congressman with no leadership experience. McCarthy wants to press on with more votes but at some point the business of Congress must go on with a consensus candidate. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), 57, a friend of McCarthy, is waiting in the wings ready to serve as House Speaker should McCartthy not come up with the needed votes. House Republicans are embarrassing themselves, the institution and the country.
Serving Florida’s 19th district since 2021, Donalds has no business serving as House Speaker or any other leadership position. Whatever the objections to McCarthy, conservative Republicans have to get real about who can successfully lead the party in the next two years. If the infighting doesn’t stop soon, Republicans will surely loose the House in the 2024 election. Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), 52, a vocal member of the Jan. 6 House Select Committee and former manager in former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, can control his glee, watching Republicans implode. Whatever the objections to McCarthy, Republicans need to find a consensus candidate who can win the 218 GOP votes needed to become House Speaker. McCarthy’s past ties to Trump but, more importantly, to old school Republicans politics, turns off House conservatives.
Even Donalds was surprised by the conservatives’ picking him to lead the House. “I didn’t come to D.C. being interested in speaker of the House,” Donalds said. “But I also understand part of my responsibility is to make sure our conference gets to a point where we are doing things in an effective and constructive way,” Donalds said, not ruling out his consideration. Surely conservatives know that Donalds would not be a consensus candidate for House Speaker knowing his lack of leadership inexperience. Conservatives must come up with a realistic alternative to McCarthy, someone with leadership experience capable to stepping into House Speaker. Scalise is the former House Minority Whip since 2014 and incoming House Minority Leader. No one is more qualified to replace McCarthy than Scalise to take over has House Speaker. At some point, McCarthy must stop insisting he “earned” House Speaker.
McCarthy has a long history of gaffes and blunders, once admitting to Sean Hannity that the purpose of the House Benghazi Committee in 2015 was designed to hurt former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s chances of running for president in 2016. McCarthy was a big supporter of Trump until his Nov. 8, 2020 loss to 80-year-old President Joe Biden. Biden gloated yesterday that Republicans “need to get their act together” to pick a House Speaker. Conservatives must get real that Donalds is not a consensus candidate for the job. Only someone with leadership experience like Scalise can step into the House Speaker job without any hitches. Donalds has a short history of backing Trump and his claims of election fraud in the 2020 election. House GOP conservatives are proving that they can’t govern, picking someone like Donalds who lacks leadership experience.
McCarthy has made just enough enemies in the GOP to short-circuit his ability to get enough votes for House Speaker. No GOP House Speaker candidate is perfect, all come with flaws on various issues. But Scalise shows the consensus-building type that has less objections at this point than McCarthy. Instead of conducting more votes on House Speaker, the GOP would spend their time more wisely meeting as a caucus to pick their next House Speaker. More ballots without striking a deal will only make GOP leadership look in chaos. McCarthy needs to get over the idea that he’s owed House Speaker by serving as House Minority Leader since 2018. Leadership positions require consensus, not just seniority. House conservative won’t get the change they’re looking or by picking someone who has no leadership background, who certainly won’t get enough votes on any future ballot.
McCarthy’s shortcomings must be measured by who else in the GOP caucus could get more consensus for the top leadership slot. If McCarthy’s wants the job, he’s going to have to make the concessions necessary to placate conservatives, including on the rule “Motion to Vacate,” to remove a House Speaker by one vote. Currently Pelosi agreed to a Motion of Vacate” to five votes. McCarthy could placate the conservative caucus by agreeing to a compromise. But if McCartthy can’t get the 218 votes needed, he needs to throw his support behind another consensus candidate. Conservatives must get real that Donalds lacks the leadership experience to effectively lead the House GOP. Neophyte House conservatives don’t have the experience to understand that things in Washingoton don’t change overnight. Finding compromise in leaders and policy is the only way to get anything done.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
