The White House asked House Republicans to “come clean” about the details of concessions made by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in exchange for him securing the votes necessary to achieve the Speakership.
“House Republicans have yet to come clean with the American people about the secret agreements Kevin McCarthy made with the most MAGA members of their conference in order to end their leadership election debacle,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.
Bates pointed to media reports that McCarthy promised a vote on a 23% national sales tax in exchange for support. He also noted that McCarthy supported abortion restrictions and allowed House Republicans to use the threat of a U.S. debt default to force President Biden and Congressional Democrats to agree to certain spending cuts.
McCarthy was voted Speaker just moments after midnight on January 7, following a nearly unprecedented four days and 15 rounds of voting, prolonged by some 20 GOP holdouts who demanded numerous concessions before voting—many of them not for McCarthy, but “present,” reducing the total number of votes he needed to secure the Speakership.
Spokespeople for McCarthy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
