Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced Wednesday that he will retire at the end of 2023, saying his “work is just beginning” in recruiting other Republicans to run for Congress.
McCarthy (R-Calif.), 58, wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that 17 years after first running to represent California in the House, he has “decided to leave the House at the end of this year to serve America in a new way. “
“I am an optimist. How could I not? I am the son of a fireman. For 17 years I have served in the same congressional seat — the same office where I was once denied an internship. Only in America,” he wrote.
“I will continue to recruit the best and brightest of our country to run for elected positions. The Republican Party is growing every day, and I am committed to lending my experience to support the next generation of leaders.”
McCarthy’s departure will reduce the majority of House Republicans to two votes, following the expulsion of Rep. George Santos (R-NY) who lied on Dec. 1.
On October 3, eight GOP lawmakers led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) voted with 208 Democrats to oust McCarthy, claiming that he had failed to uphold his side of the bargain he made with senior members to win the gavel in January.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy is retiring. Getty Images for The New York Times
The allegations follow a bipartisan vote in the House to fund the government at current levels until Nov. 17 — with Gaetz also alleging McCarthy agreed to a “secret side deal” with President Biden over Ukraine aid.
McCarthy’s ouster, the first in the history of the lower house, set off weeks of infighting in the Republican caucus as three consecutive candidates came forward and failed to replace the former speaker.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) all failed in their bids for the gavel.
The fight revealed deep tensions between moderates and conservatives in the Republican caucus, as deadlocked votes kept each speaker candidate from a path to victory in the House.
Matt Gaetz posted a one-word response on X to the news: “McLeavin.” Getty Images
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), who announced Tuesday that he will retire at the end of his term next year, was briefly appointed speaker pro tempore to preside over the conference vote, but insisted it was beyond his authority to pass temporary legislation.
The House GOP eventually joined with Conference Vice Chairman Mike Johnson (R-La.), elevating him to the speaker’s chair a little more than three weeks after McCarthy was impeached.
After taking office, Johnson passed two funding bills that extended current federal spending until January 19, 2024 and February 2, 2024, respectively.
He also agreed to approve further military aid for Kyiv’s war effort against Russia, as long as border security measures were also approved by Congress.
McCarthy has repeatedly claimed that Gaetz chose to fire him because he refused during the speakership to drop the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into the Florida Republican.
The ethics probe concerns allegations that Gaetz — who has denied any such motivation for engineering McCarthy’s ouster — engaged in sexual misconduct, illegal drug use, campaign finance violations and may have accepted bribes.
“I am an optimist. How could I not? I am the son of a fireman. For 17 years I have served in the same congressional seat — the same office where I was once denied an internship. Only in America,” McCarthy wrote. AP
The allegations come as the hardline representative is reportedly considering a run for governor of the Sunshine State.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), a staunch McCarthy ally who continued to vote for speaker on consecutive ballots after his removal, said in a statement that the California Republican had “encouraged [him] to run for Congress and has been an incredible advocate for our community and country.”
“Speaker Kevin McCarthy is a confident leader and I am proud to stand with him,” Gimenez said. “We will miss you on the House Floor, my friend.”
Meanwhile, Gaetz took the victory lap, post a one-word answer on X to news: “McLeavin.”
In a sentiment echoed by other McCarthy critics, self-described “Congressman” Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) share images to express dissatisfaction with the slim Republican majority.
“Leaving Republicans with a two-seat majority is his last elbow in the back of a party that puts its future in its hands,” another GOP source told The Post, referring to recent accusations from Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn. ), one of the eight who voted to oust the speaker, whom McCarthy elbowed before a recent conference meeting.
McCarthy in his op-ed said his tenure may seem “out of place” to some in Washington, DC, but emphasized that he has done “the right thing” during his nine months leading the GOP majority.
“Despite a slim margin in the House, we passed legislation to secure borders, achieve energy independence, reduce crime, hold government accountable and create a Parental Bill of Rights. We did what we said we would do,” he wrote.
McCarthy said he has no regrets about his nine months as Speaker of the House. Ron Sachs – CNP
“We reduced the deficit by more than $2 trillion, overhauled work requirements for offline adults, reduced red tape for critical domestic energy projects, and protected the faith and full credit of the US. We keep our government running and our military paid during war. broke out all over the world.”
But in an apparent parting shot at his caucus dysfunction, the former speaker argued “[t]the challenges we face are more likely to be solved through innovation than legislation” as well as “everyday men and women who raise families, show up to work, volunteer, and pursue the American Dream with passion and purpose.”
“I agree with President Reagan’s observation that ‘all great changes in America begin at the dinner table.’ Despite the best attempts by special interest groups and the news media to divide us, I have seen the good in the American people,” McCarthy said. “They are the ones who will ultimately uphold the eternal value of our great country. We all have a role to play in that effort.”
“I could never have imagined the journey when I first threw my hat into the ring. I know I left it all on the field—as always, with a smile on my face,” he concluded. “And looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
