Name: Former Speaker McCarthy to Leave Congress at End of Year
Uploaded: 2023-12-07T06:53:12.000Z
Description: Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will leave Congress in a matter of weeks at the end of this year, the California Republican announced.

Travis Gillmore is an avid reader and journalism connoisseur based in California covering finance, politics, the State Capitol, and breaking news for The Epoch Times.

Travis Gillmore

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

News

US News

State News

District of Columbia

Thousands Attend ‘Rededicate 250’ Prayer Celebration on National Mall

Arleen Richards is NTD's legal correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers all major legal stories. Arleen holds a Doctor of Law (J.D.).


Arleen Richards

NTD Plus

News with integrity, from the U.S. and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

Massive Win Against 'Gender-Affirming Care': Biologist on Children's Hospital Settlement

David Zhang is a Washington correspondent focusing on national politics and U.S.–China relations. He was previously the host of the California Today and NTD Tonight.

David Zhang

Long-Awaited Documentary ‘Silent Harvest’ Debuts

Melina Wisecup is NTD's congressional correspondent based in Washington, covering Capitol Hill and campaign politics.

Melina Wisecup

Washington Roundup (May 16): Hearing Spotlights Forced Organ Harvesting in China

Daniel Monaghan is a reporter for NTD News covering culture, social issues, and education. He holds a BA in Political Science and Government.

Daniel Monaghan

White House Week in Review (May 16): China Trip, Police Week, Biolab Crackdown

Dave Martin is NTD's Senior Sports Reporter and sports analyst. He also hosts "Data Hub" segments during NTD's special election coverage, "The Nation Decides."

Dave Martin

Pistons, Cavs Get Ready For Game 7, Knicks Await Winner

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

Sen. Cassidy Faces Tough Competition in GOP Primary

Jacki Thrapp is an Emmy® Award-winning journalist based in Nashville. She previously worked at The New York Post, Fox News Channel and has written a series of Off-Broadway musicals in NYC. Contact her at jacki.thrapp@epochtimes.us

Jacki Thrapp

Business News

China Eases Restrictions on US Beef, Poultry Following Beijing Summit

Sam Wang is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Sam covers politics on Capitol Hill, and U.S.-China relations. 

Sam Wang

Citizens React to Communist Cuba in Crisis

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

Politics

Executive Branch

Trump Says ISIS Second-in-Command Killed in Joint US–Nigerian Mission

Chris Beers is an NTD News anchor and political correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Chris co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Chris Beers

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 17)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 16)

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 15)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 14)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 13)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 12)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 11)

Don Ma is an anchor and senior business correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Don is the anchor and producer of NTD's "Business Matters," which airs weekdays at 4:30 pm ET.

Don Ma

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 10)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 9)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 8)

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

China Sends Warships to Pacific Drill as Tensions With Japan Rise

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

2 US Embassy Personnel Assigned to Cartel Case Killed in Car Accident

Gunman Kills 8 Children, Including 7 of His Own, in Louisiana Mass Shooting

Flora Hua is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers China news, U.S.-China relations, and human rights issues. Flora primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus."  

Flora Hua

Trump: Seized Iranian Ship May Have ‘A Gift From China’

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.

Aldgra Fredly

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition: Spokesman

Wildfires Across Georgia and Florida Have Destroyed Nearly 50 Homes and Are Forcing Evacuations

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

US Warns of China Hacks via Routers, Smart Devices

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

2 Americans Among Suspected Communist Rebels Killed in Clashes With Troops, Philippine Officials Say

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

World News

Middle East

Iran

3 US Warships Fend Off Iranian Attacks, Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds

Health News

3 Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship in Atlantic Ocean: WHO

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will leave Congress in a matter of weeks at the end of this year, the California Republican announced.

Mr. McCarthy made the announcement in an <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/kevin-mccarthy-my-next-chapter-house-gop-retirement-california-e4e593d7">op-ed</a> for The Wall Street Journal, in which he said he was "leaving the House but not the fight."

The former speaker applauded his conference's actions during his 269-day speakership, cut short after he was ousted by rebels from within his party in October becoming the first speaker to ever be stripped of the gavel.

"No matter the odds, or personal cost, we did the right thing," Mr. McCarthy wrote. "That may seem out of fashion in Washington these days, but delivering results for the American people is still celebrated across the country.

"It is in this spirit that I have decided to depart the House at the end of this year to serve America in new ways," he added. "I know my work is only getting started."

He said he would "continue to recruit our country’s best and brightest to run for elected office.

"The Republican Party is expanding every day, and I am committed to lending my experience to support the next generation of leaders," Mr. McCarthy said.

The Bakersfield, California Republican's departure follows in the footsteps of past Republican speakers like Reps. John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who each left Congress after stepping down from the speakership.

After trying to win the office since 2015, Mr. McCarthy finally achieved his longtime goal of becoming speaker in January after a historic 15 rounds of balloting.

Mr. McCarthy faced opposition within his own caucus from the very beginning of the 118th Congress, with conservative lawmakers like Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), and others voting against his taking the office.

He finally won the speaker's gavel on the 15th round of voting after the six holdouts to his candidacy voted "present," lowering the total threshold needed to become speaker just enough for Mr. McCarthy to win.

For the next 269 days, Mr. McCarthy reigned over a deeply divided Republican conference. Splits between the chamber's most conservative members and its most moderate members defined Mr. McCarthy's time in the speaker's chair.

During his speakership, Republicans passed wide-reaching bills addressing energy, crime, and immigration policy. However, because the Senate is run by Democrats, few of these bills ended up on President Joe Biden's desk.

Mr. McCarthy's victory that gave him the speaker's gavel was ultimately a pyrrhic one, as his job—won by the thinnest possible margin—was constantly threatened by Mr. Gaetz and other opponents.

Those threats culminated on Oct. 3 of this year with a resolution by Mr. Gaetz to remove him from the speaker's chair after Mr. McCarthy passed a short-term bill to avert a government shutdown. This move, according to Mr. Gaetz, was a violation of the speaker's promise in January to return the House to regular order in passing all 12 annual spending bills.

This effort was successful, and Mr. Gaetz joined seven other Republicans and all lower chamber Democrats to declare the speakership vacant. This, in turn, led to three weeks of paralysis in the House that ended on Oct. 25 with the election of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

Mr. McCarthy began his political career in California, where he served as a member of the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2006. That same year, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

He served as the House Republican deputy whip, and then House Republican whip, between 2009 and 2014.

Later, he moved up to the post of House majority leader under then-Speaker John Boehner.

Following Mr. Boehner's retirement, Mr. McCarthy made his first, ultimately unsuccessful bid for the speakership. He lost that bid due to controversy about comments he made at the time, choosing to step down from consideration and remain majority leader. Mr. Ryan, a dark horse pick, was elected speaker.

After Mr. Ryan left Congress in 2019, Mr. McCarthy served as minority leader until he was elected speaker this year.

With Mr. McCarthy's departure, it will be up to California Gov. Gavin Newsome to call a special election to replace him.

That election will almost certainly go in Republicans' favor.

However, in the interim, with Mr. McCarthy's departure and the recent expulsion of Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), this exit reduced Mr. Johnson's majority to only two votes, leaving the Republican conference with a razor-thin majority.

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/former-speaker-mccarthy-to-leave-congress-at-end-of-year-5540772">The Epoch Times</a></em>

Latest

Videos

01_Lead Story

04_Top Stories

house republicans

Latest Clips

Management

02_Second Lead

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

Congress

House Speaker Mike Johnson

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.