Can McCarthy close the gap?
According to reports from multiple media outlets, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and his team held intense negotiations overnight in an attempt to reach the necessary 218 votes to elect McCarthy as Speaker of the House.
From The Daily Wire:
The new concessions included allowances for one member to introduce a motion to vacate rather than five, enabling lawmakers to more easily replace McCarthy should he become the presiding officer, according to a report from Axios based on multiple Republican sources. He also promised to hold votes on term limits and border security, as well as grant the House Freedom Caucus more seats on the powerful House Rules Committee.
CNN correspondents Manu Raju and Melanie Zanona reported on the same concessions, noting that the moves will earn McCarthy more votes but will not “close the gap.” CNN added that a political action committee aligned with McCarthy agreed to refrain from playing in open Republican primaries with safe seats, reflecting another demand from holdouts.
This still likely won’t get him to 218, per several GOP sources. But it will close the gap
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 5, 2023
Fox News reported on possible concessions as well.
From Fox News:
McCarthy’s leadership team engaged in negotiations with the holdouts overnight. The anti-McCarthy block says they want rule changes that would open up the legislative process by allowing rank-and-file members to add floor amendments to major bills, as well as conservative representation on powerful House committees and a lower threshold to trigger the process to remove a speaker.
A GOP aide confirmed to Fox News that McCarthy is weighing these concessions. However, a sticking point is that many of the holdouts like Bishop simply do not trust McCarthy to follow through on the promises he makes.
More over at The Daily Wire:
McCarthy Offers Key Concessions To Republican Holdouts: Reports https://t.co/KwY6FbKC20
— Daily Wire News (@DailyWireNews) January 5, 2023