Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., would have to make some concessions to the House Freedom Caucus if he wants to become the new House speaker, Politico reported.
Politico surveyed about 20 of the Freedom Caucus’ 36 members and found differing degrees of support for McCarthy. Since 218 votes are required to win House speaker, the Freedom Caucus block of votes would be instrumental in deciding the winner.
"We’re not just going to rearrange the deck chairs around this place and keep doing the same stuff with different people," said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa. McCarthy, the House majority leader, "hasn’t earned my vote,' Perry said in Politico.
Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, is among Freedom Caucus members who want to see one of their members as speaker. Other Caucus members such as Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, want their allies to be placed on prominent committees or put in consideration for chairmanship duties, the report said.
Most of the Caucus members want someone who will push Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to take up bills that the House has passed. Another group wants to see changes to the legislative process.
No commitments have been made, one Caucus member said.
"What I think you’ll hear from everybody (in the Freedom Caucus) at this point in time is that we’re not committing to anybody," said Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C.
"I want to have that conversation with Kevin if he is going to run and see what we can do to make sure that conservatives have a voice and that we manage the House a little bit more productively," Duncan said in Politico.
McCarthy has tried to build relationships with Freedom Caucus members since 2015, when the Caucus denied his hopes of becoming speaker in 2015, Politico reported.
Some are open to McCarthy, including Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas. McCarthy flew to Texas to spend time with Weber and his constituents after Hurricane Harvey, Politico reported.
"He has a good grasp of all the issues. He’s smart. He’s intelligent. He’s a good fundraiser. Aren’t those all qualifications for a good speaker?" Weber said in Politico.
The group is divided over personal relationships with McCarthy and policy demands. "I’m trying to convince the Freedom Caucus members: 'Let’s take the approach that this isn’t about personalities; it’s about policy. Let them earn it,'" said Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz.
The House Majority Whip, Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., offered his support for McCarthy on Friday, saying he would vote for him when McCarthy announces he is running, Politico reported.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.