On Tuesday, House Republicans nominated Kevin McCarthy over Andy Biggs in his bid to become the GOP nominee for Speaker of the House. From here forward, McCarthy will need 218 supporters to win the floor vote on Jan 3rd.
🚨 MCCARTHY WINS
Kevin McCarthy of California beat Andy Biggs to become the GOP nominee for speaker of the House.
He now has to spend the next seven weeks working to get 218 supporters to win the floor vote. That will be Jan. 3.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 15, 2022
Matt Gaetz, a member of the Freedom Caucus, does not believe McCarthy will have the support he needs to win the January vote, saying 31 votes against “Big Opposition.”
31 votes against. Big opposition.
Kevin McCarthy does not have the votes to be Speaker of the House. https://t.co/3wiAaicokd
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) November 15, 2022
In October, McCarthy attempted to appeal to the American people saying Republicans spent a year and a half studying all the problems and laying out the solutions. He then committed to giving Americans “an economy that’s strong, a nation that’s safe, a future built on freedom, and a government that’s accountable to you, the American people.”
Republicans have traveled the country, and we’re listening. That’s why it’s our Commitment to give you:
‣ An economy that’s strong
‣ A nation that’s safe
‣ A future built on freedom
‣ And a government that’s accountable to you, the American people pic.twitter.com/nnnkIdhStq— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) October 3, 2022
Yet allegedly, Ryan Salame is a major donor both to McCarthy’s own operation and to other groups backing McCarthy’s favored candidates. Salame was an executive at the recently bankrupted and disgraced cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
FTX is currently embroiled in scandal as its founder Bankman Fried was part of a potential money laundering scheme utilizing monies from Ukraine.
McCarthy’s political operation spending has been publicly administered by the House GOP’s largest super PAC, the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), which McCarthy has helped raise $165 million for this cycle.
CLF spent upwards of $7 million in Republican primaries this cycle, focusing on nominating moderate candidates in swing districts. In addition, CLF spent millions protecting incumbents like Michael Guest (R-Miss.), Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), and Jamie Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), who faced challenges from far-right candidates, including those endorsed by the Freedom Caucus.
According to the Gateway pundit McCarthy also worked with super PACS like Defending Main Street and the GOP elites to prevent former Trump aide Karoline Leavitt from winning her primary for New Hampshire, spending nearly $5 million in the process. Leavitt lost in the general election. Leavitt’s platform included lowering taxes, securing the border, protecting 2A, backing the blue, protecting life, and holding the Biden administration accountable.
#NH01 GOP primary getting expensive as Defending Main Street kicks its spending up to $1.27M to oppose Karoline Leavitt. The GOP's Congressional Leadership Fund SuperPAC has spent $1.4M, largely on boosting Matt Mowers. Anti-Leavitt spending is now the largest single component. https://t.co/WMpGLdae1b pic.twitter.com/FeUSqBSksv
— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) September 7, 2022
Leavitt was interviewed on Tucker Carlson about why McCarthy was working so hard to stop her and prop up her primary opponent, Matt Mowers, a lobbyist for an opioid manufacturer. However, Leavitt was confident she was over the target and able to be a voice for the American people.
McCarthy also spent nearly $10 million going after Republican candidates Anthony Sabatini, Joe Kent, and six others in their primaries. Sabatini said McCarthy is a failed disgrace and must not become speaker.
Kevin McCarthy spent close to $10 Million going after me, Joe Kent, and 6 other Republicans in their primary elections
That money could’ve been spent lifting up the Republicans we just saw lose
McCarthy is a failed disgrace & must NOT become Speakerhttps://t.co/1ElP7CGP2W
— Anthony Sabatini (@AnthonySabatini) November 9, 2022