A top House Republican suggested House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) might not be automatically be voted in as House speaker if Republicans recapture the House of Representatives.
Rep. Andy Biggs ( R-Ariz.), the highly influential member of the House Freedom Caucus, argued that the GOP conference in the House needs to have a “serious discussion” about their leadership after Republicans gained fewer seats than they expected.
“I would say maybe not so fast” about McCarthy’s speaker bid, Biggs told the streaming program “The Absolute Truth with Emerald Robinson,” adding, “Maybe we should have a good discussion within the confines of our internal body.”
Biggs noted that voters and Republicans “were told we were going to have an incredible, incredible wave, and if that would’ve been the case, any 20, 30, 40-seat margin, anywhere in there you would say, okay, Kevin is the presumptive Republican nominee for speaker.
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Biggs also made reference to COVID-19 vaccine mandates that were largely pushed by Democrat lawmakers and elected officials.
“Our leadership didn’t leverage that to remove the [vaccine] mandates,” Biggs told the program.
But the Freedom Caucus has enough votes to block McCarthy’s speakership bid, Biggs said.
“I don’t understand why this is just a foregone conclusion,” he said. “I think we have to have a real discussion and see how people respond to the ultimate results of this election and get a feel for his agenda and what he thinks he’s going to accomplish.”
Other than McCarthy, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) announced his bid to become the next House majority leader Wednesday.
The Epoch Times has contacted McCarthy’s office for comment.