McCarthy Is in an ‘Incredibly Shrinking Speakership,’ Pelosi Says
California Republican in extraordinary political bind as federal shutdown looms
Kevin McCarthy stands potentially to become one of the weakest House speakers in history, followed by one of the strongest.
Even that predecessor of McCarthy's believes he's essentially throwing away his speakership.
The California Republican, after all, had to give other House Republicans extraordinary concessions and deals in January in order to finally win the speaker's gavel.
Those accommodations continue to haunt McCarthy, who unilaterally approved opening an impeachment inquiry against President Biden after longtime political for, Rep Matt Gaetz (R-Fla) castigated McCarthy publicly on the House floor and threatened to call a vote to have him removed as speaker.
Gaetz followed that up by calling McCarthy a liar on national television — even after the speaker launched the impeachment inquiry against the president.
It's become an extraordinarily bitter feud between two lawmakers of the same party.
McCarthy’s also facing pressure to complete needed spending bills by the end of the month in order to avoid a federal government shutdown, and to do so with precious little political clout.
“I think it’s an incredibly shrinking speakership,” said Rep Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif), who remains a rank-and-file congresswoman despite retiring last year from House leadership. “Yeah, it became that the first night when he had to make all these pledges, promises, to become speaker.
“Really, it isn’t worth it to be speaker to abdicate that much jurisdiction over the House,” added Pelosi, who became the first woman to lead the US House and did so during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
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