Freedom Caucus-aligned group to release documentary on GOP revolt during McCarthy speaker vote
Cami Mondeaux
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A conservative organization closely aligned with the House Freedom Caucus is set to release a documentary detailing the GOP revolt during the House speaker election in January that led to a historic 15-round vote.
FreedomWorks released a trailer for its documentary titled People’s House, which features interviews with several HFC members, such as Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Ralph Norman (R-SC), who led the revolt against Kevin McCarthy until key concessions were made. The intraparty division led to five days of failed votes and subsequent negotiations, resulting in hard-line conservatives securing high-profile committee assignments and rule changes to cement their influence over the chamber.
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“We had something that Mr. McCarthy wanted more than anything,” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who voted against McCarthy before voting “present” on the final round, said in the trailer. “Because of that, we were able to try and restore this institution to its credible founding.”
McCarthy eventually managed to secure the speaker’s gavel after 15 rounds of voting, but not without making compromises and key concessions to members of his right flank. Among these concessions was a rule change for calling a motion to vacate, lowering the requirement to allow a vote if only one member requests it.
The GOP leader also agreed to appoint HFC members to key assignments on some of the House’s most powerful committees, including the Oversight and Rules panels.
The documentary features interviews with members who led the rebellion to vote against McCarthy until those agreements were made, noting it was meant to act as a message of the HFC’s efforts to change Congress fundamentally.
“I’m always amazed by people who send us here to change Washington, and then you start doing it, and they go, ‘Oh, don’t do that. You might upend the apple cart,’” said Roy, who was among the first handful of members to vote against McCarthy. “I want to upend the apple cart. That’s why you sent me here.”
The film details how the rebellion grew from a handful of holdout votes to take up a substantial group of hard-liners — seeking to paint the HFC as holding real power in the lower chamber.
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“They didn’t anticipate us going from five [holdout votes] to eight to 12 to 20,” said Norman, who was among the initial group to defy McCarthy’s speakership bid.
The documentary also features interviews with HFC Chairman Scott Perry (R-PA), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), who voted against McCarthy during all rounds before voting “present.” The film is set to be released on July 25.