House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is rapidly approaching the most dangerous stage so far in his leadership career as he contends with a growing rebellion within his caucus who don't want him to work out a budget deal with President Joe Biden's administration – preferring instead to impeach him.
This is all happening as Senate Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), look on and duck running to his rescue, instead choosing to work with Democrats to pass legislation.
With Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) threatening to vote against a new budget bill unless McCarthy meets her demands that extend to stopping aid to Ukraine and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) hinting at a move to vacate the chair – ending McCarthy's dream of a long-term speakership – over impeachment , MSNBC's Hayes Brown notes Republican senators aren't rushing to shore up McCarthy's future.
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"The Senate Appropriations Committee not only passed all 12 spending bills, it passed all 12 with overwhelmingly bipartisan votes, something that feels as rare as hen’s teeth these days. (Also, it’s worth noting that McConnell himself sits on the committee and voted on all 12 bills.) The plan is to start moving those across the Senate floor for passage in the next week or so, leaving the House in the metaphorical dust," he wrote before contrasting the Senate Republicans with their GOP colleagues in the House.
"There are major risks to McCarthy for not holding an impeachment vote. For example, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has said she won’t vote for any spending bills without an impeachment inquiry. And Rep. Matt Gaetz unsubtly hinted at further retribution during a radio interview Tuesday. He warned that 'if Speaker McCarthy stands in our way, he may not have the job long,'" Brown reported before adding, "If he doesn’t schedule a vote on impeachment to mollify his members on the right, McCarthy will have to depend on Democratic votes to keep the government open. That would be yet another reason, though, for members of the chaos caucus like Gaetz to pull the trigger on a motion to vacate the chair, which could lead to McCarthy losing the speakership."
He went on to point out that none of this seems to be concerning to McConnell.
"His caucus is mostly uninterested in the impeachment contretemps playing out in the lower chamber and is clearly united enough to pass bills alongside the Democratic majority. In short, Senate Republicans are doing what’s best for Senate Republicans, rather than what might help bail out the speaker," he wrote before adding, "From McConnell’s side of the Capitol, the problems McCarthy is facing are all of his making. Thus, McConnell is leaving him to figure it all out for himself."
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