In his 15th attempt, Kevin McCarthy relinquishes all his powers, becoming an empty-suit speaker who could be fired by his caucus within a year.
The tepid applause McCarthy received from his own caucus when his name was named was an ominous sign:
House Republicans stood up and applauded a man they could fire within six months. #KevinMcCarthy pic.twitter.com/geghKlTQwV
— Sarah Rhys Jones (@PoliticusSarah) January 7, 2023
McCarthy gave up so much that he didn’t have the power, control or ability to lead his caucus. For example, he let the far right decide how many seats they would have on important committees. Committee assignments are a powerful tool speakers use to keep members on the same page. McCarthy gave up.
On the budget and debt ceiling, McCarthy agreed to cut spending while increasing it. These spending cuts will never pass the Senate or be signed into law by the White House, but Kevin McCarthy will not be able to negotiate a deal to end the crisis as he relinquishes all power in order to become Speaker of the House.
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Rep. McCarthy also agreed not to spend money in open Republican primaries, meaning another powerful tool the speaker has, the ability to influence House primaries, is gone.
The biggest self-mutilation was Kevin McCarthy’s agreement to allow any member to bring a motion to remove the Speaker. McCarthy gave those who proved how much they hated him by rejecting his candidacy 13 times the power to fire him at any time.
Once McCarthy does something they don’t like, he could be history. McCarthy will control committees and legislation, but he has made himself the weakest speaker in American history, and he will oversee a caucus so out of control that they turned to procedural votes to choose the next speaker of the House in a week-long fiasco.
Kevin McCarthy will have the office and the title, but he has no power, which is why he probably shouldn’t be too comfortable, as his time as a speaker is likely to be short.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a congressional correspondent for the White House Press Fellowship and PoliticusUSA. Jason has a BA in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, specializing in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Association of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association
