More Republicans vow to vote McCarthy for president ‘for as long as it takes’

Five conservatives are publicly threatening to outvote McCarthy for president, enough to prevent him from meeting the necessary 218-vote threshold in the narrow majority of House Republicans. They and other members on the fence have been pushing for changes to House Standing Orders, specifically to a procedural measure known as a “vacancy motion” that allows lawmakers to depose a speaker. Republicans in the Main Street Caucus said the motion to rescind and another proposed change were « problematic. »

Any concessions on the rules should be « met with real, tangible, and proven concessions by those blocking Kevin McCarthy’s election as president, » Bice and Johsnon wrote.

Friday’s letter follows another signed by a group of more than a dozen GOP members from battleground districts. Those lawmakers and elected members, from districts that President Joe Biden won in 2020, had a similar message in a Thursday letter — that they would vote for McCarthy “however many votes are needed.” They also made it clear that they would not support any kind of « consensus candidate ».

McCarthy is expected to have a conference call with a select group of members on Friday to continue discussing the rules for the next Congress, as he works to win over opponents who have demanded rule changes and other concessions.