7 Jan, 2023 20:22

Kevin McCarthy becomes House speaker: Who he is and where he stands

After a divisive voting process, Republicans choose the California lawmaker as the new speaker of the House of Representatives on Saturday

Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was sworn in as speaker of the House of Representatives on Saturday morning, bringing a divisive week of infighting to a close and formally handing control of the House to the GOP.

A split in the party turned what is normally an uneventful procedure into an historic standoff, with 20 hardline Republican lawmakers holding up the process in a combined bid to thwart McCarthy’s appointment and squeeze concessions out of a leader they view as too establishment-friendly.

Who is Kevin McCarthy anyway?A nine-term congressman, McCarthy has represented his California district since 2007. He is a close ally of the fiscally conservative Paul Ryan – who served as speaker between 2015 and 2019 – and has moved in the party’s top circles for almost a decade, having been majority leader from 2014 to 2019, and minority leader from 2019 until now.

McCarthy was an early supporter of former President Donald Trump and aligned with him on most issues throughout his presidency. However, he distanced himself from Trump’s claims of fraud after the 2020 election. The two subsequently reconciled, and Trump endorsed his bid for speaker.

WATCH: Newly-elected Speaker McCarthy thanks President Trump for his support. "I do want to especially thank President Trump, and I don't think anybody should doubt his influence. He was with me from the beginning."Congratulations, @GOPLeader! pic.twitter.com/6QLG88AM3s
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 7, 2023

What is McCarthy’s stance on Ukraine?

Earlier this week, Gaetz said of McCarthy that “time and again his viewpoints, his positions, they shift like sands underneath you.” On the issue of US military aid to Ukraine – which almost all Democrats and Republicans enthusiastically support and some members of the Freedom Caucus oppose – this appears to be the case.

McCarthy said before November’s midterm elections that should the GOP retake Congress, they would no longer give Kiev “a blank check.” Pressed by CNN several days later, he insisted that he is “very supportive of Ukraine,” but would push for “accountability.”

McCarthy voted in favor of a $40 billion package of economic and military aid for Ukraine in May, but against a massive $1.7 trillion spending bill containing another $40 billion for Kiev in December.

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Kevin McCarthy becomes House speaker: Who he is and where he stands

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