McCarthy is the ultimate survivor
They say if you don’t succeed, then try, try again. Even if it means taking 15 tries to get it right.
And that’s exactly what Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy did, across four long days, to finally win the House Speakership.
It was a bruising battle for McCarthy, an embarrassment for the party, and set the stage for what could be the most tumultuous congressional session in quite some time.
Much has been made that the 15 ballots were the most in a century. Prior to this year, 13 of the 14 votes for Speaker that required multiple ballots occurred prior to the Civil War. But hey, it didn’t take 133 ballots, as in 1855. At least that’s something.
Bottom line: Whether or not Kevin McCarthy proves to be an effective leader won’t be because he endured four days of bad publicity where monikers of “embarrassment” and “humiliation” dominated coverage. In other words, colleagues won’t walk down the Capitol corridors and say “hey, there’s the guy who needed fifteen votes to become Speaker.” Instead, it will be “there’s Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House of Representatives and second-in-line to the Presidency” — and while he won’t be able to corral votes at will, House members will view him with respect. And with respect comes power.
As Mr. McCarthy closed in on the magic number but was still coming up short, there were reports of near-fisticuffs on the House floor. Watching the video, that was an overblown assessment.
Frustrations flare and tempers triumph during such tense times, so it is a testament to members that those emotions did not spill into violence. Those with the distinction of serving in Congress have a responsibility to set an example for the nation. While the House has a more raucous history than the genteel Senate, its members must always remember that even the most strident cacophony of disagreement must start and end with only words — and that civility should always win the day.
Let’s keep things in perspective. Sure, powerful committee assignments and effective party organization are front-and-center during tumultuous organizational votes, but in the end, that’s all just inside-the-Beltway politics. They don’t matter in the grand scheme, since the business of running the country will always move ahead, with or without specific individuals holding Speaker and committee gavels.
If a majority of Republicans wanted McCarthy to lead them, that’s certainly their prerogative. But criticizing those who opposed him was likely counterproductive. Sure, not having a smooth transition is a headache for leadership, and it can make the party look disorganized. But members who don’t toe the line shouldn’t be chided. A party that prides itself on being a “big tent” should be tolerant of dissenting views within that party.
Some McCarthy supporters stated that he earned the job. But what does that mean? Yes, he worked his way up the ranks and has represented the party well over the years, but hard work is not an automatic qualifier for an elected position. Many candidates who’ve lost at the ballot box worked harder than their opponents, yet still lost.
The only way to earn an elected position is to earn enough votes to get there. Coronations have no place in American politics — especially inside the halls of Congress.
Congress hasn’t exactly been a model of function and effectiveness — the border is in severe crisis; America’s debt exceeds $31 trillion; runaway spending continues unabated; energy independence no longer exists; and our infrastructure remains subpar, to name just a few.
With that in mind, some of the concessions that McCarthy made are a step in the right direction, such as a 72-hour period for legislators to read bills before voting on them; individual appropriation and single-subject bills that will lessen wasteful spending on non-relevant issues; germaneness requirements on amendments; and pledges to vote on term limits and border security.
The bigger question is why these issues weren’t addressed during times when Republicans had larger House margins and controlled both the Senate and White House.
If the GOP agenda becomes primarily focused on politically-oriented investigations rather than addressing the bread-and-butter issues facing Americans, they will have a tough time remaining in power, rendering the entire Speaker fight pointless.
They would do well to recall the words of Michael Douglas in The American President: “We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them.”
Good luck and Godspeed, Speaker McCarthy.