McCarthy elected US Speaker as conservatives shape the debate
Representative Kevin McCarthy was elected US Speaker of the House. He will preside over the chamber for the next two years.
January 11, 2023 | Washington, D.C.
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA 20th District) was elected Speaker of the House on Jan. 7 after conservatives secured concessions to ensure that Congress is more transparent and accountable to the American people.
Initially, 20 conservatives refused to vote for McCarthy, but by the time the unprecedented 15th vote was taken, that number had whittled down to just a handful.
Representatives Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert were the most vocal, voting “present” so that their votes would not count towards the voting percentage totals. This allowed McCarthy to win the gavel with only 216 votes as opposed to the 218 that would usually be required.
Some of the concessions gained by the conservatives are:
A change to House Rules which would allow just one member to sponsor a motion to remove the Speaker.
A proposed rules package to establish a “Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government” to investigate the politicization of the FBI and DOJ.
A proposed rule change to require 72 hours’ notice before voting on a bill.
A capped budget with spending cuts so that the American people can stop writing blank checks for an out-of-control government.
Spending cuts must accompany any effort to raise the debt limit.
An effort to have 12 individual government funding bills each year, rather than one large omnibus bill, so that spending can be monitored more closely.
Key committee seats for conservatives.
The proposed House Rules Package passed on Jan. 9 with a party-line vote with only one Republican, Tony Gonzales (TX), voting against it.
Conservatives applauded the deal, but are wary that McCarthy will not hold up his end of the bargain.
Pledge from Congressman Luttrell
Congressman Morgan Luttrell called Montgomery County Republican Party Vice Chairman Jon Bouché the morning after McCarthy was elected to discuss details of the deal.
According to Bouché, Luttrell agreed to stand against McCarthy if he did not hold up his end of the deal or if McCarthy attempted to retaliate against any of the 20 House Members who fought for the concessions.