by Sharon Rondeau
(Jan. 5, 2023) — According to “Hannity” host Sean Hannity Thursday night, Speaker of the House hopeful Kevin McCarthy (R-23) has promised to tackle a lengthy list of agenda items important to “holdout” Republican congressmen-elect and others who have remained firmly opposed to voting for McCarthy in what has become a drawn-out floor debate.
Some of the “concessions” include focusing on such concerns as “election integrity,” a 72-hour review period for all bills, and reducing the number of members required to call for the ousting of the Speaker from half the House of Representatives to a single congressman, Hannity read from a list of points.
In an attempt to bring more Republicans to his side, McCarthy has signed a pledge to that effect, Hannity said.
In 11 rounds of voting over the last three days, McCarthy has received no more than 201 votes vs. 212 consistent Democrat votes for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, with the 20 objectors voting for other members or, in the case of Rep. Matt Gaetz earlier Thursday, for “Donald John Trump.”
One of the 20 has voted “present” on several occasions.
For his part, Trump pledged his support for McCarthy prior to the convening of the 118th Congress on Tuesday and indicated optimism Thursday morning that a speedy resolution to the impasse would be reached.
“There are ‘never-McCarthy’ votes” which will not change despite the numerous concessions, Fox News’s Bret Baier told Hannity at 9:08 p.m. EST. “These guys don’t have a personality problem with Kevin McCarthy; they don’t trust him,” Baier explained.
McCarthy has failed to garner the necessary 218 votes to become Speaker, the lack of which has stalled Republicans’ agenda after the party’s narrow majority emerged from November 8, 2022 elections.
If McCarthy succeeds in becoming Speaker, Baier said, “he will be weakened.”
A common theme in the floor remarks of many congressmen-elect over the last three days is that Republicans must “fix” what is seen as dysfunction in the chamber and in greater Washington, DC.
As a result of the lack of a Speaker, no congressman-elect has been sworn in and cannot be referred to as “Congressman” or “Congresswoman,” Fox has reported.