Frustration With McCarthy’s Leadership Erupts in Mini-Rebellion by GOP Hardliners

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) presides over the vote on H.R.2 - the Secure the Border Act of 2023, in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on May 11, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Several Republican hardliners on June 6 staged a small revolt against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), frustrated by his handling of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

The group voted against the speaker on a procedural matter, preventing consideration of four bills favored by Republicans.

The move was largely symbolic in that the bills are unlikely to be considered by the Senate. But the action was enough to get the speaker’s attention, leading to meetings with representatives in an attempt to preserve Republican unity.

“I think it shows that we’ve got some trust issues, and we’ve got to get those resolved,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told The Epoch Times on June 7.

Other House Republicans downplayed the magnitude of the fracas.

“This town always features a certain amount of drama,” Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) told the Epoch Times by email. “We’ve hit a rough patch, but I assume in a few days we will all have moved on to the next hot issue. That will be fine by me; we’ve got plenty of real work to do.”

Complaints by the holdout group centered on what they see as heavy-handed tactics by the GOP leadership team, and reneging on agreements made with the conservative group at the time of McCarthy’s election as speaker.

Rep.-elect Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) casts a vote at the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2023. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Alleged Threats

Some representatives have complained of pressure tactics and threats of retaliation made against members who voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

“I can assure you that it is a vertically integrated strategy to try to convince people that if they do not adhere to the leadership thinking on a procedural matter, or even a substantive matter, that they will have negative consequences for their political career,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said during a “War Room” interview on June 6.

Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) said that GOP House leaders told him it would be difficult to get a bill he had sponsored through the House if he voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act on June 1.

On June 6, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) denied that such a threat was made.

Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) was “harassed” by several members in an attempt to influence her vote, according to Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.).

“Someone told her that she would be marked for the rest of her time in Congress, like wearing a tattoo,” Boebert said on “War Room.”

Harshbarger’s office did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

A Capitol Hill staffer familiar with GOP leadership told The Epoch Times that no such coercive tactics originated with McCarthy.

“I’ve worked in Congress a long time, and I have never seen a more collaborative speaker’s office and, frankly, a collaborative House,” the staffer said. “I get the sense that it was more like, ‘Why should the team back your play when you refuse to back any of ours?’”

January Agreements

McCarthy was elected as speaker after a tortuous 15-ballot ordeal resolved only by making concessions to GOP hardliners, some of whom participated in the procedural revolt on June 6.

Many of those hardliners accuse McCarthy of going back on his word in his handling of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

U.S. Rep.-elect Bob Good (R-Va.) delivers remarks in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 5, 2023. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“The reason why several of us voted yesterday against the rule is because the agreement under which we moved forward from January has been broken. It was clearly a failed agreement, as evidenced by that disastrous bill that was passed last week,” Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) told The Epoch Times.

Boebert echoed that thought on June 6.

“We fought very hard back in January to make sure that every member is empowered and that we could bring bills to the floor,” Boebert said.

“And throughout the debt ceiling deal, this agreement was absolutely breached. It was a closed rule. We weren’t allowed to offer amendments.”

Proponents of the Fiscal Responsibility Act have often cited the bill as a win for Republicans despite not entailing all their objectives.

“In an era of divided government ... it makes a whole lot more sense to get wins where we can, even if they’re incremental, rather than just accepting losing,” a Capitol Hill staffer told The Epoch Times, adding that it is not uncommon for floor debate and amendments to be limited on large, complex bills.  

Peace Talks

Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Boebert, Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), Burchett, Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Gaetz, Good, Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Matt Rosendale (R-Mt.), and Chip Roy (R-Texas) voted against allowing the rule on June 6.  Scalise also voted no in order to bring the rule up for a vote again.

The holdout group, while frustrated, is seeking a change in McCarthy’s leadership style, not to replace him as speaker.

“We want to be Kevin’s coalition partner,” Gaetz said on June 7.

Asked whether removing McCarthy from leadership was a consideration, Burchett said no. The focus is on repairing the breach between GOP conservatives and the leadership team.

Meetings with McCarthy and others took place on June 6 and again on June 7, multiple sources told The Epoch Times. No resolution has yet been reached.

“It might be best if everybody just cools their jets for a little while,” Burchett said.

McCarthy’s office did not reply to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Jackson Richman contributed to this story.