Kevin McCarthy Draws Battle Line Against Democrats: Releases Plans to Force Tough Votes

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) released a memo Thursday to Republican ranking members detailing how the GOP can use House procedural motions to force Democrats to take tough votes and expose their leftist agenda.

McCarthy wrote that because Democrats only have a five-member majority in the House, the strong Republican minority can force the slim Democrat majority to take tough votes that have resulted in Democrats losing procedural motions such as blocking the previous question.

The procedural motion McCarthy proposed Friday, known as the Motion to Recommit (MTR), if successfully passed, would move the legislation on the House floor back to the bill’s committee of origin. This would significantly delay or block the bill from passing through the House, as lawmakers would have to amend it to contain the improvements sought by the majority contained in the MTR instructions.

Using both the previous question and MTR had made Democrats lose votes to the Republican minority, even when Democrats had a larger majority last Congress. Democrats have struggled to maintain “cohesion” during ten percent of MTRs last congressional term.

Republicans have significant success in pushing MTRs to cause chaos amongst the Democrat ranks.

For instance, 39 Democrats defected and voted for a House MTR in July 2020 that would limit China’s access to American infrastructure programs if the Chinese state-owned or operated enterprises or Chinese companies help construct Uyghur concentration camps.

Nine Democrats defected from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in June 2020 and voted for a GOP amendment to ensure that a Democrat bill would not hamper the development of a coronavirus vaccine.

Nine Democrats voted with Republicans in June 2020 to end the Washington, DC, sanctuary city status as a condition for statehood.

Although Democrats have blocked Republican MTRs, the votes have clarified Democrats’ policy positions.

House Democrats blocked an MTR in May 2020 that would have prevented illegal immigrants from receiving stimulus payments, including the Democrats’ HEROES coronavirus bill.

Democrats blocked a GOP MTR in May 2019 that would have affirmed that illegal aliens voting in elections “devalues” the fundamental tenets of American democracy.

In his memo to House GOP ranking members, McCarthy wrote that their strategic usage of the MTR will reveal the Democrats’ leftist policies.

“House Democrats are not off the hook in pursuit of their socialist agenda that will only make it harder to restore, rebuild, and renew America,” McCarthy charged.