USA TODAY International Edition
McCarthy poised to be House speaker
Conservatives could try to derail the Republican’s bid.
Kevin McCarthy could become speaker with less congressional experience than any speaker since 1891.
In 1987, Kevin McCarthy applied for an internship in the Washington office of Rep. Bill Thomas, a legislative powerhouse representing Southern California.
McCarthy didn’t get the gig, so he volunteered in Thomas’ district office instead. And he worked so hard that before too long, he was running the shop — and being groomed for elective office himself.
Fast forward to today, and McCarthy is poised to become speaker of the House, one of the most powerful Republicans in the country and second in line to succeed the president. Currently the House majority leader, McCarthy has rocketed up the congressional ladder, fueled by a mix of personal charm, political savvy, good timing and non- stop work.
On Thursday, House Republicans will gather behind closed doors to nominate a new leader, prompted by House Speaker John Boehner’s surprise announcement last month that he would resign effective Oct. 30. McCarthy, one of three contenders, is the odds- on favorite to win the top slot. If he wins that closed- door secret- ballot contest, where he only needs a majority of House Republicans, McCarthy would then face a public roll call on the House floor later this month, where conservatives could try to derail his bid.
But as he prepares to take the helm of the House, the happy- golucky lawmaker from the Golden State is about to face the political test of his life. Will the 50- year- old McCarthy — a die- hard Los Angeles Lakers fan and mountain biker who spends his spare time studying other lawmakers’ districts — be any more adept than Boehner at leading a fractious GOP conference in a bitterly divided Congress?
Boehner’s tenure as speaker has been rocked by GOP rebellions, internal strife and embarrassing setbacks. Now, some Tea Party groups are gunning for McCarthy, calling him “Boehner 2.0” and urging conservative lawmakers to oppose his speaker bid.
Allies say McCarthy’s easygoing political temperament will help him build consensus where Boehner could not.
He’s a “happy person with a smile for everybody,” said Cathy Abernathy, a GOP consultant in California, who, as then- chief of staff to Thomas, turned McCar- thy down for the internship before hiring him to work in the congressman’s district office.
McCarthy is more than just a super nice guy, she said. When it comes to helping other lawmakers, “he puts in the time to find out what you want and what you need to succeed in representing your district,” Abernathy said. “That’s why he was trusted so quickly.”
Others say McCarthy is an inexperienced legislator who doesn’t have the policy chops or the political will to navigate the legislative minefield ahead, whether that’s pushing a longterm highway bill through the House or negotiating a sweeping budget deal with Senate Republicans and President Obama.
Mark Martinez, a political science professor at California State University- Bakersfield, attributed McCarthy’s quick ascent to good luck and political connections, saying that Thomas paved the way for McCarthy to win a seat in the State Assembly and then to succeed him in Congress.
If he wins the speakership, McCarthy will step into the job with less congressional experience than any previous speaker since 1891, according to an analysis by Smart Politics, a non- partisan political site. McCarthy has been in the House for less than 10 years, and he has never chaired a congressional committee.
And while many say McCarthy is more telegenic than Boehner, his communication skills are not as polished.
That was on display last week when, in an interview on Fox News, McCarthy suggested House Republicans set up the special committee to investigate the 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi as a way to drag down former secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers as she mounted her presidential bid. That sparked a firestorm among other House Republicans, who defended the committee’s work and called on McCarthy to apologize.