WASHINGTON, Jan 3 Republican Majority Leader in the US House of Representatives Congressman Kevin McCarthy allowed the forthcoming battle for the post of speaker due to the presence of lawmakers opposed to his appointment. He stated this to journalists on Tuesday before the start of the work of the new congress.
«Maybe five. Maybe twenty,» McCarthy said when asked about the number of opponents to his candidacy.
Voting for the speaker's post should begin on Wednesday, McCarthy needs 218 votes to win. In total, Republicans managed to take 222 seats in the House of Representatives following the results of the November 2022 midterm congressional elections.
On Monday, Politico reported that a «powerful conservative group» of Republicans is trying to prevent McCarthy from taking the speakership. It was noted that in recent days, McCarthy's office has been conducting intensive negotiations within the Republican Party, trying to enlist the required number of supporters, but has not been able to resolve disputes with «the most ardent detractors» who promise to vote against him.