McCarthy offers concessions to critics hoping to secure votes

In a House Rules package that Republicans unveiled on Sunday, House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) made some significant concessions to his critics. However, it is still unclear whether the actions would enable him to secure the votes required to become Speaker on January 3, The Hill reported.

The agreements include removing the need that at least half of the House GOP Conference approve a motion to “vacate the chair”—a motion to trigger a vote on dismissing the Speaker—in favor of a threshold of five Republican members.

The establishment of the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the “Weaponization of the Federal Government” by the house is another indication that it has heard calls for increased oversight of the Biden administration and the intelligence community.

McCarthy addressed the demand for stronger conservative participation on committees in a letter to fellow GOP members while posing as the “Speaker-Designate.”

“I will use my selections on key panels to ensure they more closely reflect the ideological makeup of our conference and will advocate for the same when it comes to the membership of standing committees. This will facilitate greater scrutiny of bills from the start so they stand a greater chance of passing in the end,” the letter from McCarthy said, as quoted by The Hill.

However, none of those whose resistance may prevent McCarthy from taking the bench have been moved by the movements.

Sunday afternoon saw a New Year’s Day push for the Rules package from House Republicans. Following the call, nine ardent conservatives issued a letter claiming that McCarthy’s response fell short of what they considered to be an acceptable response to the motion to remove him from office. They also claimed that McCarthy ignored a request from the leadership to refrain from working to defeat conservatives in open primaries.

For the position of Speaker to be his, McCarthy needs a majority of all voters on January 3. With a slender 222 to 212 advantage, he can afford to lose only four GOP votes. Only when the House elects a Speaker will a vote on the Rules package takes place.

The Rules package also includes amendments to the rules governing fiscal practices, remote work during the epidemic, a review of ethical practices, and more.