Last Updated on January 2, 2023
Club for Growth has come out in opposition to Kevin McCarthy’s campaign for Speaker of the House, on the eve of January 3rd’s leadership vote. McCarthy, who is facing stiff opposition from House conservatives and Freedom Caucus members, needs 218 votes to secure the speakership, a level of support that he appears to be drifting further and further away from.
“The Club for Growth urges all Representatives to vote for a Speaker of the House of Representatives that will provide transformational reforms to the House, build a bold pro-growth legislative agenda, and restore the individual rights and powers of the rank-and-file membership,” the group’s statement reads.
Under the current requirements, Kevin McCarthy is disqualified, considering his support for keeping Nancy Pelosi’s House rules, which empower party bosses and ice the people’s representatives out of the legislative process.
“If a candidate for Speaker refuses to support and adopt the reforms outlined below – Club for Growth urges all Representatives to vote against that candidate for Speaker,” the statement goes on.
As things currently stand, Kevin McCarthy is well short of the 218 votes required to become Speaker of the House, as conservative representatives have lined up to oppose him, based not only on his affection for Nancy Pelosi’s House rules but his long career within the GOP establishment as well.
EXCLUSIVE: Kevin McCarthy Refuses to Commit to Getting Rid of Nancy Pelosi’s House Rules
At the crux of the Pelosi rules debate has been the Democrat House Speaker’s removal of the motion to vacate the chair, a more than two-century-old parliamentary procedure empowering representatives to oust an ineffective or lousy Speaker of the House.
This rule was gutted by Pelosi, and the power to remove the Speaker of the House is now in the hands of party bosses.
Club for Growth’s opposition to McCarthy’s speakership campaign and Pelosi’s House rules comes as members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus are publicly vowing to vote against McCarthy.
Recently, reports have emerged that McCarthy is attempting to negotiate with Freedom Caucus members to win their support, but he still refuses to get rid of Nancy Pelosi’s rules.