Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was dismissed for the first time in U.S. history in October, announced on the 6th (local time) that he would step down from his post at the end of this year. However, he plans to continue participating in activities to support the next generation of Republican leaders. Writing in the Wall Street Journal on the same day, McCarthy expressed his intention to resign at the end of this year, saying, “I will serve the United States in a new way.”
“I know that my work has just begun,” he said. “I know that my work has just begun,” he said. “The Republican Party is developing day by day, and I promise to add my experience to supporting the next generation of leaders.” He added, “The challenges we face are more likely to be solved by innovation than by legislation.” It is interpreted as a means of supporting innovation in the U.S. rather than politics.
However, he expressed his affection for the Republican Party and said he would continue his activities to foster the next generation of leaders. “I will continue to find the most brilliant and intelligent people who want to run for election. The Republican Party is expanding every day, and I will devote my experience to supporting the next generation of leaders,” he said.
Former Speaker McCarthy is said to have agonized over his future in recent weeks. The 58-year-old is a veteran of the 9th term after being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006. McCarthy, who has been a veteran politician, has led the “forever project” within the Republican Party since his first-term days, creating a sensation of “young conservatism.” Despite the support of former President Donald Trump, he became the speaker of the House of Representatives after 15 votes in January, but his leadership was hurt by repeated friction with the party’s hardline group, the Freedom Caucus.
On September 30, when the White House and the Republican Party delayed the approval of the 2024 fiscal year budget due to disagreements, he processed the temporary budget bill to prevent the federal government from shutting down. As the speaker of the House of Representatives, he was determined to prevent the shutdown. However, the Freedom Caucus immediately submitted a resolution to dismiss former Speaker McCarthy and was dismissed as Democrats agreed.
For the Republican Party, it lost its seat in a situation where even one vote was regrettable to maintain the majority. Until the by-election for former Speaker McCarthy’s successor is held, the number of seats in the House of Representatives will be 220 for the Republican Party and 213 for the Democratic Party. The difference in the number of seats between the Democratic Party and the Democratic Party is seven, and if more than four votes are cast when voting on a major agenda, the passage of the bill that the Republican Party wants will be eliminated. As such, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a former Republican, is expected to make it more difficult to operate the House.
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
