The California congressman was able to persuade enough of the 20 holdout Republicans to back him—or at the very least, not expressly oppose—his campaign for the Speaker’s gavel by a combination of cajoling, arm-twisting, and finger-jabbing.
But it was not an easy task to persuade those recalcitrant Republicans to join. As a result of Mr. McCarthy’s commitments and significant compromises, the influence of conservatives in the House of Representatives increased while his power has been curtailed.
Concession: An election with only one member.
The option for only one lawmaker to start a vote on whether to remove the Speaker from office was one of the main demands of the Republican holdouts. The metaphorical sword hangs over his head for the whole time he is in charge of the gavel since this “move to vacate” may lead to another round of votes in the House similar to what we have witnessed this past week.
Cost: Although the motion to vacate rule has a long history in Congress, the threshold for its activation has recently been raised to five to prevent a single member from jeopardizing the Speaker’s authority. Despite the holdouts’ assurances that they won’t misuse the privilege if it is reinstated, Mr. McCarthy’s grasp on power will be considerably more fragile.
Concession: There is no simple way to pass legislation
People who have taken US civics classes or are Schoolhouse Rock! fans may remember learning about how bills go through the House of Representatives. A politician introduces them, which are then sent to a committee for study and amendment, presented before Congress and further altered, and then put to an up-or-down vote.
Nowadays, when major expenditure legislation is discussed behind closed doors and swiftly approved with minimal discussion, that is not how things frequently proceed. By giving members of Congress who are not part of the top leadership greater influence over how laws are introduced, revised, and approved, Mr. McCarthy vowed to return the process of enacting legislation to more akin to the good old days.
Cost: Legislating is difficult, especially in light of contemporary party differences, which is why normal order has mostly disappeared. A small group of lawmakers with an agenda may easily sabotage the laborious process of creating new legislation. Even if going back to the original game rules is a good idea, Mr. McCarthy may find it difficult to maintain his word.
Concession: Conservatives may set the rules
The House Rules Committee primarily establishes the ground rules for debate on the House floor, as its name may imply. It is up to the committee to decide whether or not a measure can be amended on the floor and how long it will be debated before it is put to a vote. Mr. McCarthy has pledged to give the staunchest conservatives at least one vote in this influential body.
Cost: A seat at the table gets you into the game. With stronger participation on the Rules Committee, conservatives will be able to mold the type of legislation produced by the House before it takes shape – and nip undesirable proposals in the bud.
Concession: Taking prominent responsibilities away from supporters
Several holdouts have their sights set on the gavels of powerful House committees. Andy Harris of Maryland, for example, has indicated an interest in chairing the House Appropriations Committee’s health subcommittee, which oversees billions of dollars in federal spending. On Friday afternoon, Mr. Harris moved his allegiance to Mr. McCarthy. Mr. McCarthy has made no public pledges, but lawmakers will be watching to see whether any Republicans are rewarded for their stubbornness.
Cost: Giving a committee chair to a holdout means taking it away from a committed McCarthy supporter who should have been next in line based on seniority. Mr. McCarthy may alienate some members of his party if he makes too many promises to his erstwhile opponents.
Concession: Spending restraints
Hard-core conservatives frequently worry that federal expenditure has risen to unsustainable levels. They have asked Mr. McCarthy to commit to tangible fiscal restraints during the Speaker fight, such as cutting spending to 2022 levels, requiring that any increase in the amount of debt issued by the government be tied to corresponding budget cuts, and allowing individual lines of spending to be removed from larger legislation through votes on the House floor.
Cost: Republicans will be able to approve any budget levels they agree on with a majority in the House. Mr. McCarthy has committed to vote with budget hawks in intra-party arguments, which has already enraged those conservatives concerned about significant cutbacks to defense expenditure. To approve budget legislation, Republicans in the House will eventually have to work with Democrats in the Senate. Mr. McCarthy’s vows here may limit his ability to reach the kinds of agreements required to prevent a government shutdown later this year.
Concession: Prioritize their concerns.
Term restrictions in Congress and border security have been regular themes of discussion among Republican holdouts. Mr. McCarthy is said to have agreed to conduct votes on both early next year.
Cost: Regardless of what the holdouts desired, the House was going to take up the immigration issue immediately, since strengthening border security and immigration policy have been central to the Republican agenda since Donald Trump’s presidential campaign began in 2015. Term limitations would very certainly need a constitutional amendment to be implemented. State attempts to limit the tenure of members of Congress have previously been found unlawful by the Supreme Court.
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