Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will not seek to regain the Speaker’s gavel, he announced Tuesday night hours after losing a motion to vacate the chair.
McCarthy spoke and took questions for 45 minutes after announcing his intentions to step down to his GOP colleagues in a closed-door meeting.
“I believe I can continue to fight, maybe in a different manner,” McCarthy told a packed Capitol room outside the Speaker’s office. “I will not run for Speaker again, I’ll have the conference pick somebody else.”
The former Speaker spoke whimsically at times about his long journey to the speakership and expressed no regrets over the choices he made in the days leading up to Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filing the motion to vacate that ended his tenure.
“Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, but it is necessary,” he said, smiling. “I don’t regret standing up for choosing governing over grievance.”
McCarthy lamented the handful of Republicans who voted to end his speakership after less than nine months. “Unfortunately, four percent of our conference can join all the Democrats and dictate who can be the Republican Speaker in this House.”
“I don’t think that rule is good for the institution, but apparently I’m the only one.”
McCarthy hopes House Republicans will coalesce around a candidate before taking a vote on the floor. Breitbart News is told the House tentatively plans to continue its recess and meet as a conference Tuesday, October 10. for a Speaker candidate forum, with the possibility of voting as a conference and then on the floor Wednesday, October 11.
McCarthy stated he “might” endorse a candidate but made no promise to do so.
The former Speaker did have advice for whomever next takes the gavel. “Change the rules,” he said to laughter, referencing the traditional House rule reinstated in January allowing a motion to vacate the chair to be brought at any time by an individual member.
Speaker Pelosi had previously changed the rule to require a majority of the majority conference to agree to file the motion.
McCarthy had additional pointed words towards the eight Republicans who opposed him. “These are the same people that never voted for me, they thought it was big that they went to ‘present’ after we went 15 rounds [in January].”
“I’m not quite sure those individuals are looking to be productive… They are not conservatives and they do not have the right to have the title.”
McCarthy emphasized his motivating desire to make the nation better, insisting “This job was never about me. I hope you felt that.”
While his political career may have peaked, McCarthy expressed no regrets.
“If I lose my job doing what I truly believe is right, I’ve made my peace with it.”
Follow Bradley Jaye on Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
