Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Wednesday that the Republican Party's 2023 congressional agenda is delayed "as we fight amongst ourselves" for the speaker job.
On "The Chris Salcedo Show," Van Duyne defended House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's bid for the speakership despite calls for him to step down from 21 Republican defectors.
The California Republican has failed to reach a majority of voting Congress members over the past two days of voting, with Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida and Victoria Spartz of Indiana being the latest to withdraw their support.
"I voted for McCarthy because he's the only one who's been running for the last two-to-four years," Van Duyne said. "He's the most successful Republican leader that we have had to get the majority back."
Comparing him to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and the Republican Governors Association, Van Duyne argued that only McCarthy has been successful over the last three elections.
In 2022, "we didn't gain any extra governorships. We didn't gain any extra Senate folks. But we did in the two years he's been working on hiring and supporting and helping to raise money for Republican candidates" in the House, she proclaimed. "That's where we've won."
Van Duyne also criticized the defecting Republican conference members for lacking an alternative plan to McCarthy's bid.
Over the last two days, Donalds and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio have been forwarded by the group, with neither candidate appearing all that interested in the position. Jordan, especially, has put his support firmly behind McCarthy.
"What's the plan?" Van Duyne pleaded. "Give me a plan. You have to — and all of us have ran for campaigns — you have to put your name out there. ... You don't just come out on election day and decide you're going to run.
"And the people they put forward weren't even running. I mean, Jim Jordan is a fantastic member. He is somebody that I have looked up to for a decade. He doesn't want the job for speaker. He wants to be head of [the House] Judiciary [Committee]."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.