What McCarthy has offered his GOP opponents, and what’s under discussion

Here are the tentative agreements and offers that Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has made, and others under discussion, as he aims to woo the 20 Republicans voting against him for Speaker. 

Thirteen of those 20 Republicans backed McCarthy in Friday’s vote, edging him closer to the Speakership.  

Several said their votes were pending negotiations.  

What McCarthy has offered 

Motion to vacate: McCarthy has offered to lower the threshold to bring up a move to force a vote on ousting the House Speaker down to just one member, a change from a threshold of five members that was revealed in a House rules package over New Year’s weekend.  

That was also lowered from a threshold of half of the House GOP conference that was agreed to in November. 

Floor vote to establish term limits for all House lawmakers: Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), who has introduced a term limits bill, said McCarthy made that commitment. 

Floor vote on a border security bill: In a House GOP conference call on Friday, Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) said there will be movement on legislation encompassing a border security plan crafted by Texas Republicans, according to a source.

Commitment to move bills through regular order: McCarthy has pledged to bring up 12 regular appropriations bills individually and also made commitments on an open amendment process.

Create subcommittee on “Weaponization of the Federal Government”: Housed under the House Judiciary Committee, the panel is a response to a request from GOP members who have withheld support for McCarthy to form a “Church-style” committee to investigate alleged government abuses, in reference to a 1975 Senate select committee named for former Sen. Frank Church (D-Idaho) that investigated intelligence agencies. 

Require 72 hours from release of final bill text before a vote on the House floor.

Bring back the Holman rule: A recently released House rules package brings back the Holman rule, which allows members to propose amendments to appropriations bills that cut the salaries of specific federal workers or funding for specific programs down to $1, effectively defunding them.  

Some Republicans have suggested using the rule to defund certain investigations and officials in the FBI and Department of Justice or the Department of Homeland Security or officials who were involved in COVID-19 policies.

What McCarthy has discussed 

Committee membership still under discussion: Hard-line conservatives want increased representation on influential committees, but there is no agreement or promise on that — and McCarthy does not have the sole power to give it, as it is a decision for the House Republican Steering Committee, a group of around 30 members from leadership and elected regional representatives.

What McCarthy has not offered 

On a House GOP conference call on Friday, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) shut down rumors that Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) had been promised chair of the powerful House Rules Committee.