House Speaker Kevin McCarthy did not have an easy path to the gavel, but he was able to secure it after promising to help advance the legislative agenda of the Freedom Caucus.

According to one of the more prominent members of the caucus, Representative Matt Gaetz, so far so good for the California Republican.

The Florida firebrand said he had “no plans” to remove McCarthy after “Fox News’s Chad Pergram reported that a source close to the negotiations told him McCarthy needs 180 Republican votes as a bare minimum to pass a debt ceiling bill — if he doesn’t, a conservative Republican could call for a motion to “vacate the chair” in a vote of no confidence in McCarthy’s leadership,” the Washington Examiner reported.

But Gaetz fought back and stated that he is not currently considering that option because McCarthy has kept his end of the bargain.

“I have no plans to seek the removal of Speaker McCarthy barring some dramatic, unexpected turn of events,” Gaetz said in a statement to the Examiner.

“You don’t remove someone simply because you disagree with them. By that standard, no speaker would last a single day. Speaker McCarthy simply must deliver on the promises he made in January. So far, his record doing so is admirable. So far,” he added.

Late in April, Republicans effectively passed the Limit, Save, and Grow Act of 2023, which is widely regarded as McCarthy’s most significant legislative accomplishment during his time in office. Subsequently, leaders of the House Republican Caucus have engaged in negotiations with the White House in an effort to identify provisions of mutual agreement and establish the boundaries on which neither side is prepared to budge.

The Examiner also observed:

McCarthy’s best-case scenario involves him and President Joe Biden reaching an agreement as early as Tuesday, with the House voting on the newly negotiated bill early the following week. The Senate would likely not vote on a bill until June 1 or 2, as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s deadline for Congress to raise the debt ceiling is June 1.

Repeatedly, Yellen has warned both Congress and the White House that a prolonged delay in raising the debt ceiling would have severe financial ramifications for the United States.

McCarthy’s worst-case scenario could be a challenge to his leadership if Republicans believe he conceded on too many issues or are dissatisfied with the original Republican debt ceiling bill. Some House Republicans who have expressed concerns about the GOP’s bill, including Gaetz and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), are also among those who refused to vote for McCarthy for speaker.

While the White House described Biden and McCarthy’s meeting on Monday evening as “productive,” no agreement has yet been reached.

“He walked through some of the things that he’s still looking at he’s hearing from his members. I walked through things I’m looking at,” McCarthy said of his call with the president. “What I’m looking at are where our differences are and how could we solve those. And I felt that part was productive. But look, there’s no agreement. We’re still apart.”

More on this story via Conservative Brief:

On the other side of the political aisle, meanwhile, far-left House members have warned Biden against making too many concessions to majority Republicans. CONTINUE READING…