McCarthy agrees to deal that will boost 'extremist' candidates' odds of winning more House seats: report

According to a report from William Saletan at the conservative Bulwark, new Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) secured support for his bid to be handed the gavel as Republicans become the majority party in the House by making a bargain assuring a super PAC with strong ties to him will stay out of key GOP primaries in 2024.

It has been widely reported that McCarthy offered a multitude of concessions to far-right members in terms of rules and committee appointments with members of his caucus in return for their votes, but that was not the extent of his backroom dealing as the voting spread out over four days.

The report details negotiations between the California Republican, who exerts control over the Congressional Leadership Fund (which describes itself as "the independent super PAC endorsed by Kevin McCarthy”), and far-right members of his own party who want to increase their ranks.

According to Saletan, "Under the deal, CLF agreed that it will no longer 'spend in any open-seat primaries in safe Republican districts.' Nor will it 'grant resources to other super PACs to do so.'"

IN OTHER NEWS: Fox News host accuses Biden of 'clearing his throat' to 'pressure' border official

That means millions of dollars that could go to more moderate candidates in "red state" safe seats will be withheld, paving the way for extremists to move beyond the primary.

In the case of the just concluded 2022 midterms, that total exceeded more than a quarter of a billion dollars.

The Bulwark report notes that CLF "... can still support Republican incumbents against right-wing challengers, and in swing districts, it can oppose troublemakers in Republican primaries. But in safe red districts where a Republican incumbent isn’t running, CLF will yield to extremist candidates and their funders."

The Bulwark's Saletan raised a red flag over the implications of the deal, writing, "It’s bad enough that Congress already has 20 Republican lawmakers who were willing to shut down the House. And it’s alarming to imagine what those 20 will do when the House has to raise the debt ceiling. But the caucus of extremists would be even larger today if McCarthy and his allies hadn’t torpedoed many of them in last year’s primaries," before adding, "Remember, we’re talking about safe Republican districts, where candidates like Marjorie Taylor Greene can easily get elected once they make it through the primary."

You can read more here.