Thursday 10 November 2022 06:50 PM Republican House Freedom Caucus says Kevin McCarthy may NOT have the votes to ... trends now
The conservative House Freedom Caucus is threatening to keep GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy from his prized Speakership position if he does not work with them on a list of demands, it was reported on Thursday.
Member Rep. Bob Good of Virginia suggested to Politico Playbook that one of their number could challenge McCarthy for the gavel if he does not take their points into account - which he so far hasn't.
According to caucus Chair Scott Perry, Playbook reports, the HFC has still not heard back from McCarthy about a wishlist they presented to him before Tuesday's midterms - where Republicans had a decidedly underwhelming performance.
The 42-strong coalition of lawmakers may not have been able to sway the leadership race one way or another if Republicans' promised 'red wave' materialized on election night, but as things stand, it appears McCarthy might have to toe the line on working with them and other GOP factions to clinch the top leadership spot.
Otherwise, Good reportedly said McCarthy could face a challenge that's not ideological but rather a 'show of force to demonstrate that he doesn’t have the 218 votes' needed to be Speaker.
'We know there are a number of members who feel as we do, that Kevin McCarthy has not earned the right to lead, has not earned our vote,' Good said.
McCarthy has shown willingness to heed the right wing of his party over the last year, most notably in promising to restore firebrand Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's committee assignments.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced his much-expected bid for the House Speakership on Wednesday, but it could face some unexpected road bumps after his party's underwhelming performance in the midterms
He has, however, distanced himself from some of the more political demands of the faction, such as impeaching President Joe Biden.
Perry, meanwhile, called for the leadership races schedule for next week to be delayed: 'The rules of the game should be known before we select a captain.'
'We don’t know what the majority is or who is in the majority,' Perry said. 'It seems appropriate that we have a family conversation prior to voting.'
DailyMail.com has reached out to McCarthy's office for comment but did not immediately hear back.
McCarthy formally launched his bid for Speaker on Wednesday night, while Republicans were still shy of the 218 seats needed for a majority to even get him the role.
'I am determined to ensure that this majority reaches its full potential. I will be a listener every bit as much as a Speaker, striving to build consensus from the bottom-up rather than commanding the agenda from the top-down,' he wrote in a letter to colleagues.
'That means putting the right people in the right spots and harnessing the power of our entire conference.'
The hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus has reportedly signaled it may derail McCarthy's leadership bid if he does not answer its demands
Republicans are still short a governing majority now. As of Thursday afternoon, the GOP controls 208 House seats, according to the Associated Press, picking up 16 new ones. Democrats control 186 and have made four pickups.
McCarthy's name was on the lengthy list of electoral winners who the president called since Tuesday night, after he pledged to reach across the aisle with all signs pointed to a GOP-controlled House.
Biden made that vow during an upbeat press conference on Wednesday afternoon - where he also also drew a few legislative red lines.
'I will veto any attempt to pass the national ban on abortion,' Biden told reporters on
