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If Republicans take back control of the House on Tuesday, House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy has pledged to secure the border, reduce government spending, and launch thorough investigations into the Biden administration. This pledge reflects a variety of priorities as McCarthy will have to deal with an increasingly hardline and pro-Trump conference that is eager to impeach President Joe Biden.
Two days before the midterm elections, McCarthy gave an extensive, exclusive interview to CNN on his plans for taking office, which include addressing inflation, growing crime, and border security – three problems that have evolved into the centerpiece of Republicans’ final argument to voters.
To drive home that point, McCarthy, who has been campaigning across the nation in the lead-up to the midterm elections, held a rally here on Sunday in support of three Hispanic GOP women running for office in areas crucial to the party’s chances of winning the majority in the House.
McCarthy on possible impeachment proceedings in 2023: nothing is being ruled out at this time, should GOP win House.
“That doesn’t mean if something rises to the occasion, it would not be used at any other time.”https://t.co/LszigdFUYo
— Robert Costa (@costareports) November 7, 2022
When pressed about specifics of his party’s immigration proposals, McCarthy told CNN that “the first thing you’ll see is a law to control the border first.” “You must take charge of the border. This year alone, approximately 2 million people have visited you.
Title 42, a pandemic emergency rule from the Trump administration, is still used by the Biden administration to authorize border guards to turn away immigrants at the US-Mexico border. US Customs and Border Protection figures show that during the fiscal year 2022, a time of widespread migration in the Western Hemisphere, there were over 2 million interactions at the US border. More than a million people had their applications denied under Title 42.
McCarthy, however, again emphasized oversight and investigations as a top priority for a GOP-led House, mentioning potential inquiries into the disorganized withdrawal from Afghanistan, the roots of the Covid-19 outbreak, and how the administration has handled parent and school board meetings. Additionally, he left open the possibility of beginning future impeachment procedures, which some of his supporters have already started to demand.
NEW — Come tonight, this man will (very likely) be the most powerful person in Washington D.C. who is not in elected office. https://t.co/urordnLcAn
via @Hailey_Fuchs
— Sam Stein (@samstein) November 8, 2022
McCarthy vowed that impeachment would never be used for political gain. “That doesn’t mean something wouldn’t be used at another time if it rises to the occasion,” the author said. McCarthy attempted to reaffirm his support for Ukraine while stating that they would not automatically approve any additional requests for aid, despite the MAGA-wing calling for the funding to be cut off to Ukraine and the GOP’s defense hawks vowing not to abandon the country amid its war with Russia.
I firmly believe in Ukraine, McCarthy declared. Going forward, I believe there needs to be accountability. You should always make sure the resources are going where they are needed, rather than always writing a blank check. Additionally, ensure that Congress and the Senate may discuss it publicly.
Republican from California and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The backdrop for Biden’s maiden State of the Union address is the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and its allies. Photographer: Jabin Botsford from The Washington Post and Bloomberg through Getty Images
McCarthy refused to say how many seats he believes Republicans will gain on Tuesday, but he said he was convinced it would “be at least enough to win the majority” inside the House GOP campaign to keep arms flowing to Ukraine. In fact, McCarthy stated that “anything over 20 is a red wave” in his opinion.
And McCarthy told CNN that he believes he will have the support this time around to win the coveted speaker’s gavel – both from his conference and from former President Donald Trump. McCarthy had to withdraw from the speaker’s race in 2015 due to opposition from the extreme-right House Freedom Caucus.
McCarthy responded, “I think we’ll have the votes for speaker, yeah.” Trump, in my opinion, will be quite supportive. After a gathering in McAllen on Sunday showcasing Republican congressional candidates from south Texas, McCarthy signs a “Make America Great Again” cap.
McCarthy discusses a plan for the GOP’s majority in the House. Regarding the flow of migrants at the border, McCarthy said his majority will address the issue in “a number of different ways,” but he added that Republicans will not bring a bill to the floor to change the immigration system until the border is secure.
He made reference to the contentious policy that required migrants to wait out their immigration cases in Mexico by being forced to do so. “I think ‘Stay in Mexico’ you have to have right off the outset,” he added. McCarthy advised “a very frontal attack on China to stop the poison from coming,” followed by “providing the resources that the border agents need” and “making sure that fentanyl anytime anybody wants to move it, you can prosecute him for the death penalty,” to help stop the flow of fentanyl crossing the border.
McCarthy said that Republicans would finance the police, offer grants for hiring and training new officers, and examine the way crimes are prosecuted when pressed for more details about his plans to combat crime. He also claimed that they will decrease government expenditure and increase America’s energy independence to lower inflation and gas prices, however, he did not specify any specific laws.
Though they will need to pass legislation to finance the government and increase the national borrowing limit at some point next year, the majority of bills will simply message efforts that are unlikely to override the president’s veto or the Senate’s 60-vote barrier. McCarthy, though, gave the impression that Republicans would demand expenditure reductions in exchange for raising the debt ceiling, setting up a potentially devastating fiscal showdown.
He asked, “Wouldn’t you first suggest you should modify your conduct, so you just don’t keep raising and all the time, so you don’t just keep giving a person a higher limit?” You shouldn’t simply respond, “Oh, I’ll let you keep spending money. No family should carry out that.
McCarthy recognized that under Trump Republicans were eager to extend the debt ceiling, but claimed that because Democrats spent trillions of dollars under Biden, the situation has changed. When questioned about his willingness to use the debt ceiling as a bargaining chip and perhaps risk a default, McCarthy insisted that wouldn’t happen: “People discuss taking a chance. No default is in danger for you.
McCarthy, who has his sights set on the speakership, promises to reinstate Greene’s committee responsibilities. McCarthy has been vying for the speaker’s gavel in addition to trying to regain the majority. And a crucial component of that plan has been boosting Trump’s contentious allies and prospective detractors.
To that aim, McCarthy has committed to giving Georgia’s freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene her committee assignments back, despite the fact that Democrats removed them for her inflammatory remarks last year. Meanwhile, McCarthy repeated his intention to remove California Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell from his position on the House Intelligence Committee.
McCarthy, who will have a direct say in deciding which committees Greene will be assigned to, responded “no” when asked if he had any limitations on which committees Greene can serve. Greene has already stated to CNN that she wants a position on the House Oversight Committee, which will be crucial in probes run by the GOP if they gain a majority.
She will be required to serve on committees, just like every other member. Members ask for various committees, and we’ll consider it once the steering committee meets, he said. She has the same authority to elect committees as any other elected member of our conference.
Greene is not the only team member to have uttered inflammatory rhetoric or conspiracy ideas. Recently, some Republicans have made fun of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi’s vicious attack or promoted fanciful conspiracy theories about the incident.
McCarthy responded, “What happened to Paul Pelosi is wrong, and I think we should not go into this language,” when asked what he would say to the Republicans. McCarthy, though, blamed Democrats when asked how he would rein in that kind of hyperbole.
The first thing he said was, “I’ll beg the president not to call half the country idiots or say things about them because they have a difference of view.” “I believe that leadership counts, and I believe that it most likely begins with the president. Additionally, it will begin with the speaker.
McCarthy answered, when asked once more how he would deal with fellow party members spreading harmful conspiracies, “I’ve watched folks on both sides of the aisle.” “If I’m elected speaker, I’ll speak on behalf of the entire House. Therefore, it won’t be focusing on Republicans only. We’ll also be considering Democrats.
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