As US Congress taps leaders, House’s Kevin McCarthy fends off rival

Kevin McCarthy speaks at a news conference following leadership elections on Capitol Hill. PHOTO: REUTERS
McConnell (left) and newly elected Republican Senate conference vice-chair Joni Ernst (right) walk to a press conference. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - Republicans in the US House of Representative on Wednesday (Nov 14) chose Representative Kevin McCarthy as their party's leader for the new Congress that will convene in January, denying the top post to conservative Jim Jordan.

McCarthy, whom President Donald Trump sometimes calls "my Kevin," will lead party colleagues against an incoming Democratic House majority. Voters ended the Republicans' hold on the House in the Nov 6 elections and handed it to Democrats.

In the contest for party leadership, California's McCarthy easily defeated Ohio's Jordan in a 159-43 vote. Jordan arranged television commercials and other advertising to support his campaign for House leader, an unusual step.

McCarthy had been House majority leader, while Jordan is a former chairman of the Freedom Caucus, a break-away conservative faction.

Holding a majority of the 435 seats in the House or the 100 seats in the Senate brings with it more money and staff than the minority party gets, as well as control of each chamber's legislative agenda.

At the helm of the House, Democrats are expected to launch numerous investigations of Trump, his business interests and his family, while also challenging his agenda.

The Senate remains under Republican control. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell and Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer were re-elected to their respective top jobs in that chamber for 2019-2020, as expected.

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The most closely watched leadership race in Congress is Democrat Nancy Pelosi's bid to reclaim the job of House speaker, a role she had from 2007 to 2011, when she was the first woman in that post.

So far, she has no clear opponent, but some Democrats are dissatisfied with Pelosi. Their struggle over selecting a new speaker still has weeks to play out.

Among Democrats, a small but vocal group argues Pelosi, 78, should step aside. She has made clear she wants the speaker's gavel again. She has led the party in the House for 16 years.

House Democrats will choose a party leader on Nov. 28 in a closed-door election. A separate election for speaker will follow in early January with all House members - Democrats and Republicans - casting votes.

Nine centrist House Democrats have told Pelosi their votes for speaker are conditional on whether she embraces House rule changes that would encourage more consideration of bipartisan legislation. They asked her to commit to the changes by Friday.

The votes of the nine, members of the bipartisan "Problem Solvers Caucus," could be pivotal on the House floor, where Pelosi will need a majority of all House members to become speaker again.

Caucus Co-chairman Representative Josh Gottheimer told Reuters the group was talking with Pelosi. He said she seemed eager for reform, but the group was asking for a public commitment from her because "the specifics matter."

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