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The House of Representatives is still waiting for its next speaker, but “rogue” Republicans are unwilling to let their guard down and throw their support behind conservative minority leader Kevin McCarthy since 2019, despite his offer on Wednesday for night new concessions that at first sight seemed to be accepted.
After an intense Thursday, where McCarthy failed to reach the minimum votes in an astonishing 11th attempt, a deal is reportedly being reached between the California congressman and the bloc of lawmakers pulling him away from the sledgehammer.
As reported by Punchbowl News, House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ralph Norman has revealed that there is a written agreement that he has been asked to review.
The previously cited outlet also reported that anti-McCarthy representative Chip Roy and pro-McCarthy representative Patrick McHenry negotiated the truce, so the agreement would be being reviewed in the office of Republican representative Tim Emmer of the House of Representatives where legislators of both factions met Thursday night before voting to adjourn.
Reuters has reported that a source close to McCarthy has a deal on the table, but that it will not put him above the threshold of the votes needed to be elected as speaker of the House of Representatives.
Granting him a few votes, the aspiring House speaker would only get between 10 and 12 more than he has had in recent days.