• With House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) facing a more turbulent road to the speakership after Republicans’ lackluster gains on election night, some Democrats argue that attempting to strike a deal with the California Republican in exchange for speaker votes on the floor could be beneficial as other Democrats float attempting to nominate an alternative GOP choice like outgoing Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) to serve in the role.
• There are currently private conversations about “voting for [Rep.] Liz [Cheney] and getting a hearty group of both sides to vote for her as a rebuke of Trumpism in a scenario where Kevin couldn’t get the votes. I would classify them as serious in intent to put forth a principled option with the goal of bringing people together but not serious in that I can’t imagine that getting to 218.
• Cheney, who lost her primary election in August and was ousted from her leadership position by her conference over her criticisms of former President Donald Trump and his role in inciting the siege on Jan. 6, has been praised by Democrats for her decision to buck party lines and serve on the Jan. 6 select committee and endorse a handful of Democrats over GOP opponents who denied the legitimacy of the 2020 election results.

Tagged: Capitol Hill