Republican Committee Leaders Urge Support for McCarthy: ‘We Cannot Let Personal Politics’ Get in the Way

Republican committee leaders Reps. Mike Turner (R-OH), Michael McCaul (R-TX), and Mike Rogers (R-AL) are publicly urging support for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as speaker, reminding colleagues that the California Republican has laid out how a GOP-led House will hold the Biden administration accountable.

Turner, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence lead Republican, McCaul, the House Foreign Affairs Committee lead Republican, and Rogers, the lead Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, released a joint statement on Thursday on the third day of the speakership battle in the House.

“As the incoming chairs of the national security committees, we strongly support Kevin McCarthy for speaker,” the statement began.

“McCarthy’s Commitment to America agenda outlines a stronger approach to countering China, a plan to investigate the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, and how a Republican majority will hold this administration accountable,” it continued.

“The Biden administration is going unchecked and there is no oversight of the White House, State Department, Department of Defense, or the intelligence community,” they added, warning that Republicans “cannot let personal politics place the safety and security of the United States at risk.”

Their statement kicks off the third day of the contentious speakership battle in the House, as Republicans have failed to unite behind McCarthy as speaker after six votes. The seventh vote is set to occur on Thursday with reports of McCarthy negotiating certain concessions with the GOP holdouts.

According to POLITICO Playbook, those include a vote on term limits, Rules Committee seats for Freedom Caucus members, a lower threshold for the “motion to vacate,” and changes to the appropriations process.