U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) says he is willing to return to his role as Speaker of the House if members want him back, and says it would show strength in the U.S. after the attack on Israel.
“Well, right now, Mr. Speaker,” conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt said to McCarthy on Monday, “Congress is paralyzed, because of course, eight Republicans joined with every Democrat to evict you from the Speaker’s chair last week. The Republicans meet tomorrow. If there is a deadlock, and I fear there might be, would you be willing to stand up and become the Speaker again?”
“Look, the [House Republican] conference has to make that decision. I’m still a member. I’m going to continue to fight and act. I know what it means to have a strong America and a strong relationship with Israel,” McCarthy said. “From every term I’ve been in, I have led all the freshmen to Israel. My first trip as Speaker was to Israel to speak at the Knesset at the 75th anniversary of the creation of Israel. We need to not part in any way and show no weakness here. And we’ve got to understand that this is not an interaction like they’ve had before. This is something that hasn’t happened in 50 years.”
Pointing to the “eight Republicans brought you down,” Hewitt made a prediction: “I don’t know if they can change their mind, but I don’t think we’re going to get to a Speaker other than Kevin McCarthy this week, and we can’t not have a Speaker right now. Would you be willing to go back if those eight retreated?”
“Look, whatever the conference wants, I will do,” McCarthy continued, blasting his critics. “If you take some of their comments of why they did this, because I kept the government open? Could you imagine? They’re the ones that stopped appropriations bills from going forward. They’re the ones who voted against a continuing resolution that secured our border and cut spending. They’re the ones who wanted a government shutdown. We wouldn’t be paying our troops while we’re putting out a carrier strike fighter there, a 30,000 American men and women in our armed services in the Middle East wouldn’t be being paid right now? I mean, what weakness would we be at?”
McCarthy then attacked Democrats.
“So don’t just look to the eight,” he continued. “Also remember what the Democrats did. The Democrats made the same political decision that Matt Gaetz and Mace did. This is a Gaetz-Mace-Hakeem-Pelosi decision.”