Senior Democrat reveals plan to end impeachment by cutting McCarthy deal

A top House Democrat has detailed how his caucus is prepared to help Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy keep his job in exchange for ending the impeachment inquiry launched into President Joe Biden’s stock a few weeks ago.

Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA), the minority whip, promised she could rally the votes to help McCarthy fend off an attempt by conservative Republicans to vacate the speaker’s chair, which would also require the support of nearly unanimity of the Democrats. Deputy Clark said POLITICIAN which also intends to force McCarthy into a corner on aid to Ukraine and his ongoing negotiations with the White House to avoid a government shutdown.

“We want him to live up to the deal [on toppling spending] what did he do [with President Biden]. We want to get disaster relief. We want to continue supporting Ukraine. And we want them to end this bogus impeachment inquiry,” Clark said.

The charge to boot McCarthy has generally been led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) who has accused the president of negotiating inappropriately during the debt ceiling talks and ceding too much ground to Democrats. The small group of hardliners needs just five votes to prevent a deal between McCarthy and President Biden from passing the House.

Last week, McCarthy essentially dared Gaetz and his cohort of tourists to try to take him down, declaring that his support in the Republican caucus remains strong. However, cutting a deal with House Democrats to retain his presidency at the expense of budget cuts may be seen as a bridge too far, further eroding the California Republican’s ability to win votes in the future.

When Republicans took control of Congress in January, McCarthy endured 15 rounds of voting before being elected president, one of the most divisive selections in American history. Allies describe him as a fighter who believes he can prevail over conservatives he generally detests as unpatriotic and unserious about reaching consensus.

To keep his job, President McCarthy relies on the support of conservative lawmakers like Deputy James Comer (R-KY) and Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) who lead the research President Biden’s alleged involvement in his son’s business affairs. The Republican leader has also benefited from the tenuous support of former President Donald Trump, who although sometimes questioned McCarthy’s sincerity in defending him during a busy primary election.