McCarthy reveals big ideas for House Republicans, but challenges ahead

MONONGAHELLA, Pennsylvania (AP) — Republican leader Kevin McCarthy will head to Pennsylvania on Friday to go head-to-head with President Joe Biden and the party in power, announcing the midterm election agenda and embracing a Trump-like campaign. sweep away all promises. and rule in parliament.

McCarthy, who is ready to grab the gavel of the Speaker if Republicans win control of the House in the fall, is a strategy he used to spark voter enthusiasm and wipe out control of the House in the 1994 landslide. I would like to reproduce the

The House Republican Party’s “Commitment to America” ​​is a nod to its early days, but the economy, the border, and the economy to evoke the former president’s deep supporters in forgettable neighborhoods like this rusty landscape outside Pittsburgh. Update it for Trump on security, and social policy.

“We are planning a new direction for America,” McCarthy told the Associated Press.

On Friday, House Republican leaders will join forces with other lawmakers to roll out the GOP agenda, offering a portrait of the party’s unity despite the uneasy coalition that makes up the House minority and the Republican Party itself. The Republican Party has moved from small government, low taxes, and a focus on individual liberty to a more populist, nationalist, and sometimes far-right party. he.

Republicans, backed by Trump’s “Make America Great Again” voters, need to win just a few seats to regain control of a narrowly divided House and replace House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. But that said, McCarthy’s ability to lead the House is far from guaranteed.

Republicans and Trump passed tax cuts into law, but failed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, the last big Republican campaign promise. Long lines of Republican speakers, including Gingrich, John Boehner and Paul Ryan, have been forced out of office or opted for early retirement, often uprooted by intraparty strife.

“House Republicans are really good at getting people out of town,” said Matt Schlapp, president of the Conservative Political Action Coalition (CPAC).

First elected in 2006, McCarthy is one of the political survivors of the House Republican battle, and a new style of leader who has demonstrated more ability to communicate than to legislate.

California Republicans, key players in the 2010 Republican “Tea Party” takeover, personally recruited newcomers to Congress. McCarthy was an early Trump supporter and relied on his high-profile endorsement to send the Republican candidate to Congress and stay close to the former president. I gave up on my previous bid to become a speaker.

“Commitment to America” ​​reflects the strength of McCarthy’s abilities, but also his weaknesses. He has spent more than a year of his time bringing together the often-conflicting factions of the House Republican Party (from his MAGA on the far right to the remnants of the centrist faction) to craft a largely agreed-upon agenda.

But the one-page “commitment” preamble is brief, basically a pocket card, but expected to be filled with the kind of details needed to enact legislation.

“They are talking about a lot of issues,” said House Majority Leader Stenny Hoyer, Democrat, Maryland. “They don’t have many solutions.”

As he travels to Pennsylvania, a battleground state with which Biden has had an emotional connection since childhood, McCarthy spoke about the rise of Republican extremism after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. intends to counter the president’s fierce Labor Day weekend speech that warned of with a brighter message.

The event is advertised as more of a conversation with Republican leaders and members of Congress than a uniquely controversial speech.

Republicans believe they can win five seats in Pennsylvania in November in one of the most closely watched Senate races between Democrat John Fetterman and Trump-backed Mehmet Oz. It will help determine parliamentary sovereignty. Topping the ticket is the Earthquake Governor matchup between Republican Doug Mastriano and Democrat Josh Shapiro seen outside the Capitol on Jan. 6.

“If you’re a hardliner, a populist, and you want to be really angry, it’s a little frustrating because Kevin doesn’t show you enough anger,” Gingrich said. And if you want to pass legislation, he’s a really good leader and organizer.”

Gingrich worked with McCarthy and his team to develop the style and content of the proposal. The former chairman, who was asked to be interviewed by the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on Congress, was in Washington on Thursday and along with McCarthy announced the plan privately to House Republicans confused by the approach. .

For the most part, Republican pocket cards have implications in a wide range of areas, including energy independence, security, and the demise of liberal social policies, especially in schooling.

Conservative Republicans have privately complained that McCarthy is not sufficiently committed to their priorities as he seeks to appeal to a wider range of voters and unite the party.

Many are eager to launch an investigation into the Biden administration and the president’s family, with some calling for impeachment. Legislatively, some House Republicans want to live up to their party’s promise to ban abortion by supporting Senator Lindsay Graham’s bill to ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

In a sign of pressure looming over McCarthy, dozens of House Republicans signed a plan by Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is partnering with Trump, to prevent the mass reassignment proceedings of minors. and praised Georgians for their courage to take such a tough approach.

She and others were invited to Friday’s event because McCarthy is asking for their support.

Republican Congressman Chip Roy of Texas, a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, has advocated withholding federal funds as a means of increasing policy priorities.

“We’re laying out principles like, ‘Okay, we’ll protect the border.’ I mean, okay, what are you going to do about that?” Roy said. We want concrete, actionable items that show us to fight against it.”

It is worth noting that only McCarthy proposed a plan for the eventuality of Republicans gaining control of the House. In the Senate, Republican leader Mitch McConnell has refused to put forward the agenda, hoping to run against Biden and the Democrats in the midterm elections.

“Kevin has done a very good job putting himself in position to be a speaker, and the question is, what do you do with it?” Schrup said. “This serves as a roadmap.”

__ Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/ap-mccarthy-unveils-house-gops-big-ideas-but-challenges-ahead/ McCarthy reveals big ideas for House Republicans, but challenges ahead

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