The Daily

Speaker McCarthy. But at What Cost?

Jan 9, 2023

Catie Edmondson, a Congressional correspondent for The New York Times, dives into the tumultuous saga of Kevin McCarthy's struggle to become House Speaker. She reveals the chaos during the intense five-day voting process and the GOP's internal rifts that complicated his bid. As McCarthy made significant concessions to secure his position, the conversation highlights the fragile balance of power in the Republican Party. Edmondson also explores the implications of these developments for future Congressional operations.

34:30

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Episode guests

Catie Edmondson

Highlights

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Episode notes

The Consequences of McCarthy's Failed Attempt to Negotiate with the Never Kevin's

01:18

Intro

2min

The Tumultuous Speaker Vote

16min

The High-Stakes Showdown for the Speaker's Gavel

4min

The Tension of Voting: A Speaker's Showdown

6min

Leadership Under Siege

7min

Chaos in Brazil: The Storming of Government Buildings

2min

Representative Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become speaker of the House turned into a rolling disaster last week, played out over five long days and 15 rounds of voting.

Today, the inside story of how it went so wrong — and what he was forced to give up in order to finally win.

Guest: Catie Edmondson, a congressional correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading:

Mr. McCarthy’s slog to the speakership ended with a remarkably public show of intraparty strife during a history-making overnight session.
The speaker’s concessions have given the rebels on the right flank of his party more tools to sow disarray.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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