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McCarthy Responds To Possibly Being Removed Over GOP Debt Ceiling Dissatisfaction

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has faced backlash from the GOP’s most conservative faction amid reports of an approaching deal on the debt limit following negotiations with President Joe Biden.

But, according to the Washington Examiner on Saturday, the California Republican is not concerned about a potential motion to vacate his chair over the disagreements.

In January, McCarthy faced a challenging situation during which he had to endure 15 votes to secure the gavel. To win over opponents, he agreed to reduce the threshold for a motion to vacate to just one vote, meaning that any member who is not happy with the tentative debt limit agreement has the power to remove him from the position.

“Not at all worried,” McCarthy said when he was asked about the possibility.

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The Examiner noted further:

A cacophony of conservatives from the hard right flank of the GOP caucus have come out in opposition to the recent debt limit framework deal negotiators struck Saturday night, voicing concerns that Republicans didn’t make enough gains. Still, GOP leadership feels that a sizable majority of House Republicans will back it.

McCarthy has vowed to give members 72 hours to review the text of the debt limit legislation. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently bumped the “X-date” for when the government runs out of cash to foot all its bills to June 5, giving Congress sufficient time to pass the deal.

The agreement entails a two-year debt limit hike in exchange for rescinding unspent COVID-19 funds, substantial reductions in annual spending growth, more stringent work requirements for social programs, and more.

Several conservative Republicans have voiced concerns and opposition to what they perceive as problematic with the negotiations and purported deal, though Congress has not been presented with a final version yet.

“There are members of the GOP claiming Democrats got nothing from the ‘deal.’ Oh really? 1) An uncapped debt ceiling with an expiration date – worth approximately $4 trillion…? 2) basically no cuts – a freeze at bloated 2023 spending level?” Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a House Freedom Caucus member, tweeted. “ZERO claw back of the $1.2 Trillion ‘inflation reduction act’ crony giveaways to elite leftists for grid-destroying unreliable energy…? 4) 98% of the IRS expansion left fully in place…? 5) no work requirements for Medicaid? – & only age adjustments for TANF/SNAP…?”

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“No REINS act statutory requirement for congress to approve huge regulations – just an ‘administrative’ paygo that the administration will get to enforce? 7) No border security!! – & a deal allowing them to avoid policy riders in the fall… 8) more…” he noted further.

Sen. Mike Lee of Utah quipped in response: “With Republicans like these, who needs Democrats?”

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky noted as well: “Fake conservatives agree to fake spending cuts. Deal will increase mandatory spending ~5%, increase military spending ~3%, and maintain current non-military discretionary spending at post-COVID levels. No real cuts to see here. Conservatives have been sold out once again!”

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Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, meanwhile, responded to a quote from McCarthy, who said: “Right now, the Democrats are very upset. The one thing [Hakeem Jeffries] told me, there is nothing in the bill for them – there is not one thing in the bill for Democrats.”

Cruz noted: “He’s right. There’s not ‘one thing’ for Dems. There are $4 trillion things—a blank check—for Democrats. Plus 87,000 things: new IRS agents to harass Americans. All in exchange for eliminating virtually ALL of the House’s spending cuts.”

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