Intraparty opposition could be gathering steam as Republicans prepare to take control of the House in January while remaining in the minority in the Senate.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) pledged to oppose legislative initiatives from GOP Senators who support a spending package the Senate is considering this week, and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) — who is among those sticking around in the new Congress — wasn’t thrilled. The spending bill would provide tranches of funding covering the military and domestic programs throughout the fiscal year, meaning most spending needs would likely be covered through late next year. Although he’s insisting it’s passed by Thursday — a day before government funding that’s already approved will end, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has expressed support for the initiative, which includes reforms to federal rules for Congressional certifications of the presidential election outcome — legal updates that could help shield the country from the possibility of another January 6 on the legislative side.
About a dozen House Republicans, including notable names like Andy Biggs and Matt Gaetz, recently signed a letter insisting they would “do everything in our power to thwart even the smallest legislative and policy efforts of those senators” in the GOP who support the spending bill. “Agreed. Except no need to whip—when I’m Speaker, their bills will be dead on arrival in the House if this nearly $2T monstrosity is allowed to move forward over our objections and the will of the American people,” McCarthy — who has yet to actually secure the Speakership — added Tuesday. (To “whip” refers to garnering votes in the legislature for or against a certain proposal.) With this threat, McCarthy is directly challenging McConnell, who Gaetz, Biggs, and the others also singled out in their letter. Romney credited the comments to “the silly season of the campaign.”
“For most of us, that’s over after you get elected. But he’s running for the speaker of the House, so the silliness is still evident,” he added on Tuesday. Those who originally signed the letter for which McCarthy offered his support also include Scott Perry and Ralph Norman, two Republican members of the chamber also aligned with 2020 election subversion efforts. Norman even promoted martial law to Mark Meadows, who was the White House chief of staff, in the closing days of Trump’s presidential term.
Romney chalks McCarthy’s threat up to “the silly season of the campaign.”
“For most of us, that’s over after you get elected. But he’s running for the speaker of the House, so the silliness is still evident.” https://t.co/5d1SPC8sFp
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) December 20, 2022
