Steny Hoyer: I'd be 'surprised' if Kevin McCarthy isn't the next House Speaker trends now

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Steny Hoyer said he would be surprised if Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy weren't elected by his Party to become the next Speaker of the House – but stopped short of saying whether he's up to the task.

McCarthy's influence in the GOP will be put to the test this week when elections are held for who will be Speaker of the House for the 118th Congress.

It comes as a handful of Republican representatives have banded together to try and block McCarthy from ascending to the speakership.

'I would be surprised if he doesn't [win],' Representative Hoyer insisted to CNN's State of the Union on Sunday morning. 'My expectation – he'll be Speaker.'

The new Congress will convene on Tuesday, January 3 and will see Republicans take back a majority in the lower chamber – but not in the Senate.