Republicans in Complete Disarray as New Congress Meets

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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Tuesday is set to be a tumultuous day in Washington, as the 118th U.S. Congress meets for the first time and Kevin McCarthy is expected to struggle to obtain the support he needs to cement the House's top job.

McCarthy has put himself forward to be the speaker of the new House led by a Republican majority, but has met the opposition of MAGA conservatives and hardliners within the GOP—with the significant exception of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

McCarthy, who previously served as House minority leader, must win the support of a majority of those present and voting in Congress on Tuesday to be elected House speaker. Currently, that means McCarthy needs 218 votes to be confirmed.

Kevin McCarthy in Congress
U.S. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) arrives to the U.S. Capitol Building on January 03, 2023 in Washington, DC. On Tuesday members of the 118th Congress will be sworn in and the House of... Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Democrats, now the minority in the House of Representatives with 213 seats, are expected to vote against McCarthy, leaving the Republican candidate vulnerable to defections from within the GOP.

At least five Republicans—including Arizona's Andy Biggs and Florida's Matt Gaetz—have been vocal about their opposition to McCarthy, raising doubts over whether he will succeed in drawing enough support on Tuesday.

McCarthy can only afford to lose the support of four Republicans.

In a last attempt at winning the favor of the party's hardliners, McCarthy announced on Sunday that in the new GOP-controlled chamber there would be the opportunity to "vacate the chair" if five House Republicans support the motion. At the moment, a majority of House Republicans is required to call for a vote to oust the House leader.

It's not yet known whether this last-minute move would convince the party's hardliners to vote for McCarthy.

But even winning a majority of the vote in the House on Tuesday, McCarthy's authority as House majority leader risks being significantly threatened or diminished by the divisions within the GOP that his bid has shown.

Greene, who's expressed her support for McCarthy's bid, has been harshly criticized by her fellow Republicans in the Freedom Caucus, showing that there's a rift deepening at the heart of the MAGA wing of the party.

In turn, Greene has attacked her fellow Republicans, accusing those opposing McCarthy's bid for House speaker of being "destructionists refusing to take the W when they should."

The 118th House is also facing another issue, as newly elected Republican congressman George Santos is at the center of several controversies, including the announced reviving of a criminal case against him in Brazil.

The 34-year-old congressman-elect, the first openly gay Republican to be elected to the House, is accused of having made several fraudulent purchases for a total of $700 in Brazil back in 2008. Charges were brought against him in 2011, but the case was dropped as Brazilian authorities could not locate Santos, who had moved to the U.S. by then.

If found guilty of the fraud charges, Santos could be sentenced to up to five years in jail, plus a fine.

Newsweek has contacted McCarthy, Greene and Santos for comment.

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more