Rep. Fitzpatrick: Speaker Alternative Would Need to Come From Outside

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., told CNN that if a House speaker alternative to GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., needs to be chosen, it likely will be someone from outside the chamber.

McCarthy's bid, under a slim Republican House majority, comes Tuesday at noon. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., already announced a challenge to McCarthy, and Republicans such as Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., are pressuring colleagues to support someone other than McCarthy.

On "CNN This Morning," Fitzpatrick did not say McCarthy didn't have the votes, and insisted the leader ultimately would be the speaker.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked whether an alternate candidate would need to be chosen within the House or outside.

"Outside of the House," Fitzpatrick said without hesitation.

Fitzpatrick said replacing McCarthy with someone inside the House would be damaging to the position in the future.

"I don't think there's enough people that are willing to set the precedent that you can work for four years and bring a party from the minority to the majority and then get jettisoned at the end. Nobody's ever going to put the work in if that happens," he said.

Although Collins asked him for names of alternate candidates, Fitzpatrick insisted he and other Republicans are not thinking that far ahead, and reiterated that he believes McCarthy will become the speaker.

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