Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, was elected House Speaker for the 118th US Congress last Saturday, a powerful position that puts him second in line for the American presidency.
Mr. McCarthy was elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives after a series of heated debates in which fellow Republicans nearly came to blows. Despite his party having a majority in the chamber, Mr. McCarthy won the job after 15 rounds of voting.
It came after a dramatic pressure campaign on the House floor, during which party rebel Matt Gaetz was urged to vote for Mr. McCarthy. The Florida congressman was one of six holdouts who backed down late Friday.
Earlier, amid heated scenes in the chamber, Mr. Gaetz nearly clashed with Rep. Mike Rogers, a McCarthy supporter. The Alabama congressman was physically restrained by colleagues after yelling and pointing his finger at Mr. Gaetz.
The Speaker sets the agenda for the House and oversees legislative business. After the US vice-president, this position is second in line to the presidency.
Mr. McCarthy tweeted shortly after his confirmation: "After this week, I hope one thing is clear: I will never give up. And I will never give up on you, the people of the United States."
US President Joe Biden congratulated McCarthy on his victory and stated that he looks forward to working with the Republican Party.
Kevin Owen McCarthy, born January 26, 1965, was previously the House Minority Leader from 2019 to 2023, as well as the House Majority Leader from 2014 to 2019 under Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan. McCarthy is serving his ninth House term, having previously represented California's 22nd congressional district from 2007 to 2013, the 23rd congressional district from 2013 to 2023, and the 20th congressional district since 2023.
Mr. McCarthy was elected minority leader in January 2019 after Republicans lost the majority in the 2018 midterm elections and Speaker Paul Ryan retired, making him the first California Republican to hold the position.
Mr. McCarthy was a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump during his time as majority and minority leader. He supported Trump's false denial of Biden's victory and participated in efforts to overturn the results after Biden won the 2020 presidential election. Although he condemned the January 6 United States Capitol attack during its immediate aftermath, blaming Trump for the riot and saying the 2020 election was legitimate, he would later walk back these comments and reconcile with Trump.
He led the Republican Party to a narrow House majority in the 2022 House elections. He was later the Republican nominee for House Speaker, but he did not win the position until the 15th ballot. It was the first time since 1923 that a speaker was not elected on the first ballot, and the first time since 1859 that the election required more than nine ballots.
Mr. McCarthy voted against House Resolution 908, which condemned racism against Asian-Americans in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, on September 17, 2020. "At the heart of this resolution is the absurd notion that referring to the virus as a Wuhan virus or the China virus is the same as contributing to violence against Asian Americans," he said.
Furthermore, in 2003 Mr. McCarthy "supported most abortion rights but opposed spending tax dollars on abortions," while serving as minority leader in the state assembly. McCarthy had become "a staunch anti-abortion-rights advocate" by 2015, according to the Washington Post.
Mr. McCarthy supports the Hyde Amendment (a provision that Congress has annually renewed since 1976 that prohibits federal funds from being used for abortion except to save the woman's life or if the pregnancy is the result of incest or rape) and co-sponsored a bill in 2011 to make the Hyde Amendment permanent.
This bill was particularly contentious because it exempted funding for abortions caused solely by "forcible rape," prompting abortion-rights activists to label it a redefining of rape.
Mr. McCarthy is against a California state law that requires health insurance plans to "treat abortion coverage and maternity coverage neutrally and provide both," claiming that it violates the Weldon Amendment and other federal laws.
On the other hand, Mr. McCarthy has frequently clashed with environmentalists. As of 2015, the League of Conservation Voters gave him a lifetime score of 3%. McCarthy, as of 2014, does not accept the scientific consensus on climate change. He was a vocal opponent of President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan, which sought to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants.
He has argued that regulations governing methane leaks from fossil-fuel drilling facilities are "bureaucratic and unnecessary."
Mr. McCarthy opposed the United States' participation in global efforts to combat climate change in 2015. As the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference began, he announced that he would oppose an international climate change agreement.
Mr. McCarthy led House Republican efforts in 2017 to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn a number of Obama-era environmental regulations. McCarthy previously supported the federal wind-energy production tax credit, but he voted against its extension in 2014.
As for foreign policy, Mr. McCarthy stated that he supported Israel's annexation of the West Bank. He signed a letter addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that reaffirms "the unshakeable alliance between the United States and Israel."
Mr. McCarthy also praised Trump's intention to leave Afghanistan during his presidency. However, he chastised the Biden administration for the manner in which the withdrawal from Afghanistan was carried out.
Mr. McCarthy and Judy, his wife, have two children. They have lived in Bakersfield their entire lives. He and his family are Southern Baptist Convention members and Baptists.
He previously served on the Kern County Community Action Partnership's board of directors.
