Post by Admin on Dec 7, 2023 0:58:02 GMT
[Washington = Kiyoshi Ouchi] Former US Republican Speaker of the House McCarthy announced on the 6th that he will resign from the House of Representatives at the end of the year, rather than waiting for his term to end in January 2025. McCarthy was fired as chairman in October of this year due to opposition from hard-line conservatives close to former President Trump, and he had lost his presence within the party. With the departure of Mr. McCarthy, who had been a prominent figure in the party, after losing in a power struggle with hard-liners, it is certain that the Republican Party will become even more ``Trump's party.''
With McCarthy's resignation, the House of Representatives (435 members) will now have 220 Republicans and 213 Democrats.
"I have decided to leave the House of Representatives at the end of the year to serve the American people in a new way," he wrote in an article in the conservative Wall Street Journal on the 6th. He said he would like to contribute to expanding the party's strength by "recruiting the best and smartest people."
When McCarthy was elected chairman in January of this year, he was forced to make concessions, such as simplifying the procedure for motions to remove the chairman, due to resistance from hard-liners who advocated "uncompromising confrontation" with the Biden administration and the Democratic Party. Hard-liners then refused to approve the budget for the fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024), insisting on major spending cuts. At the end of September, Mr. McCarthy reached an agreement with the Democratic Party to pass a ``bridge budget,'' which provides government spending on a temporary basis, in order to avoid a ``government shutdown,'' in which budget execution would be impossible.
However, Congressman Gaetz, a representative of the hardliners, demanded that Mr. McCarthy be removed as speaker, accusing him of making concessions to the Democratic Party. Democrats and some Republicans agreed, and McCarthy was removed as chairman in October. He expressed his hostility toward the eight people who led the firing, including Gates, by calling them the "Crazy Eight."
Most hard-liners, including Gaetz, enthusiastically support Trump, who is aiming for a comeback in next year's presidential election. Although the core members are around 10 to 30 people, they control the party's casting boat because Republicans have a slight advantage in the House of Representatives. He continues to oppose the approval of this budget and the continuation of military aid to Ukraine, and is likely to continue to be a source of instability in U.S. politics.
With McCarthy's resignation, the House of Representatives (435 members) will now have 220 Republicans and 213 Democrats.
"I have decided to leave the House of Representatives at the end of the year to serve the American people in a new way," he wrote in an article in the conservative Wall Street Journal on the 6th. He said he would like to contribute to expanding the party's strength by "recruiting the best and smartest people."
When McCarthy was elected chairman in January of this year, he was forced to make concessions, such as simplifying the procedure for motions to remove the chairman, due to resistance from hard-liners who advocated "uncompromising confrontation" with the Biden administration and the Democratic Party. Hard-liners then refused to approve the budget for the fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024), insisting on major spending cuts. At the end of September, Mr. McCarthy reached an agreement with the Democratic Party to pass a ``bridge budget,'' which provides government spending on a temporary basis, in order to avoid a ``government shutdown,'' in which budget execution would be impossible.
However, Congressman Gaetz, a representative of the hardliners, demanded that Mr. McCarthy be removed as speaker, accusing him of making concessions to the Democratic Party. Democrats and some Republicans agreed, and McCarthy was removed as chairman in October. He expressed his hostility toward the eight people who led the firing, including Gates, by calling them the "Crazy Eight."
Most hard-liners, including Gaetz, enthusiastically support Trump, who is aiming for a comeback in next year's presidential election. Although the core members are around 10 to 30 people, they control the party's casting boat because Republicans have a slight advantage in the House of Representatives. He continues to oppose the approval of this budget and the continuation of military aid to Ukraine, and is likely to continue to be a source of instability in U.S. politics.