Rep. Crenshaw on GOP Speakership Showdown: ‘It Makes Us Look Foolish’; ‘Democrats Are Cheering’

The US Capitol as seen on December 26, 2022. (Photo by ULYSSE BELLIER/AFP via Getty Images)

(CNSNews.com) – The 118th Congress hasn’t even begun, and Republicans, now the majority party, are bickering among themselves over who should lead them, with just hours to go until the voting begins.

A small group of conservative Republicans, at least five of them, say there is no way they will vote to make Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) House speaker.

“It’s a shame. It makes us look foolish,” Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas said on Tuesday.

“If I didn’t know any better, it’s like the Democrats paid these people off. Let’s pay them off, let’s make it look like the Republicans can’t govern and don’t deserve any gavels whatsoever. That’s what makes it look like.” 

Crenshaw said if McCarthy isn’t sworn in as speaker, Democrat and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will appoint a clerk to do the job:

“So the only person you’re empowering are the Democrats. The Democrats are cheering, and they are so happy this is all happening.”

Crenshaw said the demands of the anti-McCarthy group are personal and “petty.”

“This is truly a play for more airtime, and they’re getting it. There are some of these who — nobody knows who they are,” Crenshaw said.

“This is about showmanship, this is about notoriety. It has nothing to do with the conservative agenda. I would love for them to at least come out once and say, ‘Look we actually disagree with the priorities of Kevin McCarthy and the rest of the Republicans. We have policy disagreements, and we won’t vote for you until you prioritize those policies that we think would be better for the American people.’ Have they said anything like that? Not once, not once!” Crenshaw fumed. 

“Their demands are inside-baseball procedural issues. That’s what they are. Their demands are things that the average American doesn’t care about at all. The average American cares about defunding 87,000 IRS agents. That’s actually what’s going to be on the floor today if McCarthy gets 218 (votes). Because then, we can actually start doing business. That’s the first bill we’re going to vote on. 

“You know what will be after that? It’s going to be bills on border security. It’s going to be bills on getting our economy more resilient and reducing inflation. It’s going to be the things that people actually care about…”

Crenshaw said no one calls his office, saying, “‘This is my biggest priority. You’ve got to get rid of Kevin McCarthy.’ Nobody. I’ve had zero calls about this…So I don’t know where this group is getting this idea that this is important to the American people or important to the conservative movement — it is simply not. They don’t even have ideological disagreements with Kevin McCarthy. 

“This is about petty, personal issues that they have or the petty attempts to gain notoriety. And it’s unbelievably frustrating and they should be held accountable for it by the American people.” 

Also See:Conservative Republican: ‘No, I Won’t Be Voting for Kevin McCarthy…He’s Part of the Problem’