Months after being ousted as Speaker of the House, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has ended speculation about his political future and announced his intention to retire at the end of the year.
McCarthy revealed his announcement in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, in which he touted his accomplishments as a congressman and Speaker of the House.
I’m an optimist. How could I not be? I’m the son of a firefighter. For 17 years I’ve served in the same congressional seat—the same office in which I was once denied an internship. Only in America.
I helped lead Republicans to a House majority—twice. We got more Republican women, veterans and minorities elected to Congress at one time than ever before. I remained cheerfully persistent when elected speaker because I knew what we could accomplish.
Even with slim margins in the House, we passed legislation to secure the border, achieve energy independence, reduce crime, hold government accountable and establish a Parents’ Bill of Rights. We did exactly what we said we would do.
We kept our eyes on America’s long-term global challenges by restoring the Intelligence Committee to its original charter and establishing a bipartisan Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
No matter the odds, or personal cost, we did the right thing. That may seem out of fashion in Washington these days, but delivering results for the American people is still celebrated across the country.
After acknowledging his successes, he declared, "It is in this spirit that I have decided to depart the House at the end of this year to serve America in new ways. I know my work is only getting started."
Despite his forthcoming departure, McCarthy emphasized his commitment to recruiting Republicans to run for office.
"I will continue to recruit our country’s best and brightest to run for elected office,” he announced. "The Republican Party is expanding every day, and I am committed to lending my experience to support the next generation of leaders."
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He added, "It often seems that the more Washington does, the worse America gets. I started my career as a small-business owner, and I look forward to helping entrepreneurs and risk-takers reach their full potential. The challenges we face are more likely to be solved by innovation than legislation."
It has long been speculated that McCarthy might retire following his ouster. However, his plan to depart Congress at the end of this year rather than the end of this term is concerning. House Republicans already had a slim majority in the House, and now, between the expulsion of George Santos and McCarthy’s vacancy, that slim majority will be even slimmer.
McCarthy’s district is a solidly Republican district in which he won reelection last year with 67% of the vote. While the seat is a safe one for Republicans, it is at the discretion of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) as to when to schedule a special election. It is a safe bet that he’ll drag his feet when scheduling this special election, just as he did when Rep. Devin Nunes resigned to become CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group. I’m not sure why McCarthy wouldn’t serve out the remainder of his term, considering the advantage it gives the Democrats.
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