Kevin McCarthy’s path to becoming House Speaker was not easy, but he ultimately succeeded by gaining the support of a number of Freedom Caucus members by promising to support their legislative agenda.

According to Rep. Matt Gaetz, one of the more prominent members of the caucus, things are going well so far for the California Republican.

The Florida firebrand stated that he had “no plans” to remove McCarthy after “Fox News’ 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,” according to The Washington Examiner.

McCarthy’s fulfillment of his promise prompted Gaetz to state that he is currently not contemplating this alternative.

Gaetz stated in a statement to the Examiner, “I have no plans to seek McCarthy’s removal absent a dramatic and unexpected turn of events.”

“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 passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023, which is generally regarded as McCarthy’s most significant accomplishment during his tenure. Following this, House Republican leaders have engaged in discussions with the White House to identify the agreement’s clauses and determine the points on which neither side is willing to budge.

The Examiner continued, stating:

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.

The White House described Biden and McCarthy’s Monday evening meeting as “productive,” but 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 The Republic Brief:

Far-left House members, on the other hand, have cautioned Biden against making too many concessions to the majority Republicans. CONTINUE READING…