House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has cleared the first major step toward becoming House speaker despite a challenge from Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs.
The California Republican won the nomination Tuesday from his GOP colleagues in a secret ballot election. But it's just the start.
Republicans are on the cusp of House control and McCarthy will face a formal vote when the new Congress convenes in January.
McCarthy will need to shore up support from no fewer than 218 lawmakers with potentially just a few votes to spare. He is backed by former President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, Arizona Congressman Biggs announced that was is running for Speaker of the House, challenging House Minority Leader McCarthy (R-CA).
Biggs, a Republican, released the following statement Tuesday morning:
“The American people want us to turn a page. They do not want excuses or performance art, they want action and results.
“The promised red wave turned into a loss of the United States Senate, a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives, and upset losses of premiere political candidates.
“My bid to run for Speaker is about changing the paradigm and the status quo. Minority Leader McCarthy does not have the votes needed to become the next Speaker of the House and his speakership should not be a foregone conclusion.
“There are reforms that must be made in the House in order to facilitate representation of our constituents. Items such as allowing members to move to amend bills, only allowing bills that cover a single subject, and requiring bills to go through committees before bringing them to the floor. Members must also be granted more time to read the legislation and debate the merits of it.
“I look forward to serving our great nation and steering our country in a better direction after the disastrous midterms.”
Last week,Biggs won reelection to the U.S. House in Arizona's 5th Congressional District, meaning he will serve a fourth term in Congress.
Biggs was first elected to the U.S. House in 2016.
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That could be a challenge as Republicans are expected to take the majority with a narrow margin as Democrats in several competitive districts outperformed projections in several competitive seats.
If elected to succeed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the top post, McCarthy would lead what will likely be a rowdy conference of House Republicans, most of whom are aligned with Trump’s bare-knuckle brand of politics. Many Republicans in the incoming Congress rejected the results of the 2020 presidential election, even though claims of widespread fraud were refuted by courts, elections officials and Trump’s own attorney general.
