A Republican who served as the vice chairman of the powerful House and Ways and Means Committee blasted Kevin McCarthy after he lost the chairmanship to a congressman with far less seniority, apparently as part of a large set of deals the new Speaker of the House made to finally win the gavel. The 71-year old Republican congressman might choose to retire, which would narrow McCarthy’s majority even more.
“You f**ked me. I know it was you, you whipped against me,” Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) told Speaker McCarthy, according to Puck.
Rep. Buchanan “exploded after losing Ways & Means to a McCarthy ally, fueling anxiety that he could retire out of pique—and that McCarthy’s favor trading has eroded his narrow margin of support.”
The chairmanship ultimately went to “the 42-year-old Speaker’s pet Jason Smith, potentially reducing Kevin McCarthy’s margin of error from four votes to three to pass critical partisan legislation,” Puck reports.
In an glimpse into how chairmanships are awarded, Puck also reveals fundraising plays a critical role, at least on the Republican side of the House.
“It couldn’t have been a surprise that Buchanan, who is independently wealthy and a key donor whisperer, isn’t taking the snub lightly. ‘Vern put out more money in fundraising than anyone else, and he wanted that job,’ said a source. Another noted that the congressman had raised more than $4.1 million for the National Republican Congressional Committee and threw together a last minute fundraiser at his house—at McCarthy’s request—for Anna Paulina Luna, with special guest Newt Gingrich. ‘But Smith is a McCarthy crony,’ this person said.”
Buchanan was so angered he “proceeded to chew out McCarthy’s deputy chief of staff for floor operations, John Leganski. It was shocking to see such fury from Buchanan, who’s known for being mild mannered. Indeed, I heard that the tirade was so heated that the Speaker’s security detail stepped in with a light touch. (McCarthy’s spokesperson Matt Sparks disputed this detail saying, ‘at no point did anyone have to step in.’ A spokesperson for Buchanan declined to comment.)”
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According to Florida Politics, “The Ways and Means results were a surprise to many in [Buchanan’s] orbit. Buchanan had seniority on the panel over all other Republican members. And while there were reports McCarthy had encouraged Smith to run because he felt Buchanan had more loyalty to Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Buchanan’s political team always believed McCarthy could support the Florida lawmaker, the only Sunshine State Representative seeking a full committee gavel this Congress.”