What House Speaker McCarthy’s concessions to get elected mean for the nation

John Yang:

Good evening. There is finally a speaker of the House of Representatives, after four days of defeats and deal making, Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected to the job early this morning on the 15th try. That's the most since before the Civil War.

No Name Given:

So, help you, God.

Kevin McCarthy, (R) California: Yes, I do.

No Name Given:

Congratulations and God's speed.

John Yang:

His victory came during a dramatic and sometimes rancorous session. After he fell one vote short on the 14th try, McCarthy confronted holdouts Matt Gaetz of Florida and Lauren Boebert of Colorado. Tempers flared, at one point, McCarthy supporter Mike Rogers of Alabama had to be restrained. After winning the post that had eluded him for years, McCarthy outlined a conservative agenda that included investigations of the Biden administration.

Kevin McCarthy:

We will hold the swamp accountable, from the withdrawal of Afghanistan to the origins of COVID and to the weaponization of the FBI. Let me be very clear, we will use the power of the purse and the power of the subpoena to get the job done.

John Yang:

Later, he credited a key backer for helping him get across the finish line.

Kevin McCarthy:

I do want to especially thank President Trump. I don't think anybody should doubt his influence. All members elect will raise their right hand.

John Yang:

The election of a speaker cleared the way to formally assemble the 118th Congress, as House members took the oath office.

Kevin McCarthy:

Congratulations. You are now members of the 118th Congress.

John Yang:

McCarthy's victory came after a series of concessions that give hardline conservatives greater influence in the House, notably on spending and tax bills. What to McCarthy's prolonged battle and the deals he cut mean for his leadership, for the House and for the governing of the nation. Sarah Binder is a George Washington University Political Scientist and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Sarah, one of the things that Speaker McCarthy said last night is what we do here today, next week, next month, and next year will set the tone for everything that follows. What tone was set by what happened this week?

Sarah Binder, George Washington University:

Well, what we watched play out in front of us in levels of detail we're not usually accustomed to on C-SPAN was a very slim, fractured majority trying to get on the same page. And what we saw was the speaker to be in doubt at times, trying to figure out how much could he give away to his opponents and would they take it? Would they take these concessions that they were demanding and then give him his votes? We'll see those fractures emerge throughout this coming Congress is for sure.

John Yang:

In what ways, look ahead and what ways are we going to see those fractures?

Sarah Binder:

So, one of the core issues that divides the holdouts from Speaker McCarthy is the question about the federal budget, federal deficits, and federal debt. And there are two things this Congress, like most Congresses, will have to do at some point, mostly in the fall, they will need to pass spending bills, get them through the House, the Senate and the White House, pass spending bills that most recently raise federal spending both for domestic side and defense side. But his opponents have vowed not to do that. They want to cut. They want to cut both defense spending, which the defense hawks in the Republican Party aren't going to want to do, and they're going to want to severely cut domestic spending. And it's not clear that 218 Republicans, even, especially those from swing districts won by President Biden, it's not clear they're going to go along. So, how do you keep the government funded and open? Will there be a government shutdown?

John Yang:

Do you think any of these concessions may come back to haunt him?

Sarah Binder:

Well, I think the key concessions here, first of all, are Speaker McCarthy's willingness and his agreement to put three Freedom Caucus members from the far right of the conference to put them on the Rules Committee, which is an arm of the Republican leadership. That's the committee that decides which bills would go to the floor, under what conditions will there be amendments? Who will offer the amendments? With three Freedom Caucus members on that Committee, it's going to put them in a position to try to advance their policies, not just to block things on the floor that they've mastered in the past. I think that could come back to haunt Speaker McCarthy. Others will point to this motion to vacate the speakership that's existed in the past. I think McCarthy it's a thin read that he's standing on already, and that threat of deposing him, it's going to be put a little more behind those threats.

John Yang:

You talk about a slim fractured majority. I mean, the fact that it was just really about 20 members that tied the House up in knots, is that — are we going to see more of that?

Sarah Binder:

McCarthy comes into the speakership, by all accounts quite weakened by what he's given it away. And I think that's going to encourage not just the original five holdouts and not merely the 20 who secured some concessions in this deal making over the speakership. I think that will encourage other members of the Republican majority to come forward and to push their perspectives as well, right? Think about those one and a half, it's about 18 members who are elected in districts that President Biden won. Those folks aren't going to be that happy lining up behind the agenda of the Freedom Caucus. And that's trouble ahead. That's really trouble ahead for Speaker McCarthy.

John Yang:

Sarah Binder of George Washington University and the Brookings Institution, thank you very much.

Sarah Binder:

Sure. Thanks for having me.