Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said he would fight for the Speaker of the House title, even as Freedom Caucus holdouts continue to block him.
In the wake of still not gaining the required number of votes during the 11th round of voting for the speaker seat on Thursday night, McCarthy told reporters that he will continue to fight, claiming that it's not how you start that matters but how you finish.
“This is a new thought we’re going to have to have. We have a five-seat majority,” he explained. “So, it’s not one side is going to get more than another. It’s the entire conference that’s going to have to learn how to work together.
“So it’s better that we go through this process right now, so we can achieve the things we want to achieve for the American public—what our commitment was,” he added. “So if this takes a little longer and it doesn’t meet your deadline, that’s okay. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. If we finish well, we’ll be very successful.”
McCarthy's path to victory seemed clearer after a Thursday night meeting, during which one of the holdouts, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), revealed that a deal had been reached. John Bresnahan of Punchbowl News reported that all the main players met in Rep. Tom Emmer's (R-MN) office, and “an offer in writing tonight” was expected to be made.
“Norman says there's an agreement in writing as he heads into Emmer's office,” Bresnahan reported. “He's been asked to look at it.”
