House Democrats Now Own Kevin McCarthy

A group of House Democrats have told Kevin McCarthy that if he does the right thing on the debt limit, they will block House Republicans from removing him from the speakership.

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House Democrats Turn The Tables On Republicans

Kevin McCarthy had to turn himself into a puppet of the far right to get elected speaker. He gave into disastrous bad moves like the weaponization of government subcommittee, and the elevation of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

McCarthy made many concessions, but his biggest one was allowing any member to bring a motion to vacate to the floor of the House. In layman’s terms, any Republican can force a vote on removing Kevin McCarthy as Speaker.

Kevin McCarthy’s margin for error is zero.

The Speaker also finds himself in a position on the debt limit where if he does the right thing and agrees to a clean debt limit increase, the right-wingers in the House will hold a vote to remove him as speaker.

However, Politico is reporting:

A small group of moderate Democratic lawmakers has quietly reassured its House GOP counterparts that it can help protect McCarthy’s gavel if his right flank revolts over a debt agreement, according to two people familiar with the discussions. If conservatives responded to a McCarthy-Biden deal by forcing a full House vote on ousting the California Republican, Democrats say they have enough members to help block it — keeping him in power.

“We’ll protect him if he does the right thing,” said one of the House Democrats involved in the talks, who requested anonymity because of the ongoing debt negotiations. That Democrat added that McCarthy himself has been briefed on the discussions.

McCarthy’s spokesperson called the report garbage, but what else is he supposed to say? “We’re going to cut a deal to raise the debt limit, and Democrats are going to keep Speaker McCarthy in power.”

If that was publicly announced House Republicans would move to remove McCarthy tomorrow.

We’ll talk below about how House Democrats control Kevin McCarthy’s future below.