Liberal Rep. Ro Khanna floats speakership deal if Republicans meet two conditions
Ryan King
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Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is open to giving Republicans a lifeline from their speakership turmoil if they meet two conditions and select the “right kind” of Republican.
If Republicans vow not to use the debt ceiling as a political weapon and cut a deal on subpoena power, Khanna said he could support a Republican such as Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) or Mike Gallagher (R-WI) for the gavel to break the GOP stalemate that has ground Congress to a halt.
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“I would consider the right Republican,” Khanna told Fox News’s Neil Cavuto. “But there needs to be two conditions. One, you can’t have a debt ceiling debate or shut down as something that takes the country hostage, and two, [there has] to be some agreement on subpoena power. I’m open to a Republican who could work to put the interests of the American people first.”
So far, no House Democrat has strayed from presumptive Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who has amassed 212 votes during the six rounds of voting for the speakership, edging out aspiring Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who has incurred about 20 Republican defections. Other Democrats have mused about cutting a deal with Republicans to end the impasse.
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But Khanna was clear he likely couldn’t be convinced to support McCarthy or Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), who was the Republican rebel alternative pick during the rounds of voting on Wednesday.
“I couldn’t see myself at this point voting for Kevin McCarthy. I mean, he would have to come to our leader, Hakeem Jeffries, with the types of conditions that I’ve outlined. [McCarthy] doesn’t seem to want to do that. Seems like he’s going further to the right. The people I mentioned probably would have a better chance with the Democratic caucus,” Khanna explained.
“I think what people need to ask is, Kevin McCarthy had two months. It’s not like this election just happened a week ago. He had two months to figure this out,” Khanna added. “If you can’t get the votes to be speaker, what about the tough times when it comes to averting a government shutdown or making sure that we don’t default on our debt? How are we going to lead in those moments?”
Khanna also acknowledged the possibility that Jeffries could wind up clinching the speakership amid the GOP infighting but underscored that the overtures must come from the Republican side in order for any deal to get struck.
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McCarthy’s failure to lock down the gavel marked the first time since 1923 that the first round of voting yielded no speaker. Just over 200 Republicans have backed McCarthy, but a small mutiny of about 20 have blocked him, demanding concessions on matters such as committee assignments and raising concerns about his leadership abilities.
As a result, the new Congress has not yet been sworn in, and business in the lower chamber has been halted. After three rounds of voting Wednesday, Congress adjourned. Presumptive House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) has been mentioned as an alternative, though it is not clear he can garner the typical 218 votes needed.