I was probably more surprised than many in this business when I saw the announcement of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s pending retirement at the end of the year. After the chaos of his exit from the Speakership, most of us didn’t see him sticking around for the long haul, but I honestly thought he would at least finish out the term. He didn’t initially offer any insight into what might be next for him, though he did say he planned to continue working inside the GOP system. So what made his exit so urgent? We may pick up a few hints from his initial statement, as reported earlier today in Politico.
“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,” McCarthy wrote.
The California Republican became the first speaker in history to get ejected from the position, thanks to eight GOP lawmakers who linked arms with House Democrats. Few expected him to stay in the House as a rank-and-file member for long. Still, McCarthy is expected to remain active in party affairs, including exacting revenge against the Republican critics who helped torpedo his short-lived speakership.
He confirmed…
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