Rep. Andy Biggs told SiriusXM's "The Briefing with Steve Scully" on Wednesday that he has enough support from fellow House members in his challenge against Rep. Kevin McCarthy to become speaker that McCarthy won't win the position on the first ballot.
The Arizona Republican said that he has "quiet support ... enough so that, certainly on the first ballot, Mr. McCarthy won't be elected speaker."
He added that many "people have come up to me quietly and they're concerned because, you know, if he does become the speaker, they don't want to be out there because they're afraid of retribution, that type of thing, which is fair and I understand that. But I cannot tell you how many people have come up to me and indicated their appreciation for my contest to the speakership race.”
Biggs added, "I think that people need to understand the argument that ... only Kevin McCarthy can do this is specious. Because we have a lot of talent, a lot of very bright people. ... I think there's a lot of good people who could come in there that I could work with, that both the more moderate side and the more conservative side of our conference can work together."
When asked why members of Congress should support him for speaker, Biggs said, "If they want someone who can articulate the [Republican] position, who's been in leadership in these types of situations before and, by the way, has been in multiple leadership positions in this conference since I've been here — and recognized as being able to articulate positions and advocate for positions — and is respectful of everybody in our conference, then I would be your guy."
The congressman added, "There are more things that hold [the GOP] together than divide us, but I just don't think that the American people are going to be content with us just sitting on our hands, which unfortunately has been the pattern we've seen from leader McCarthy over the last 12 years since he's been in leadership."