ICYMI: MAGA Extremists Are Running The House

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As CNN reported this morning, the MAGA Republicans who will soon control the House of Representatives are actively plotting ways to advance their unpopular agenda — and have said they will go as far as damaging the economy and job gains by defaulting on our debt to do so.

Kevin McCarthy has consistently indicated that MAGA extremists will set the agenda once his party takes control of the House — aligning with lawmakers who have indicated their support for him as Speaker is contingent on radical demands, including holding the economy hostage to gut Social Security and raise prescription drug prices, and launching retaliatory investigations meant to undermine the Biden Administration.

“Kevin McCarthy has made it crystal clear that the MAGA agenda is in the driver’s seat for this new House, and the debt ceiling fight is the latest example of how far he and other MAGA politicians are willing to go to cement their power,” said Zac Petkanas, lead strategist for the House Accountability War Room. “McCarthy’s concessions to the MAGA wing are extreme and out-of-touch — and will do nothing to help address everyday Americans’ primary concerns, like lowering costs.”

Highlights from the CNN article on the debt-ceiling fight include:

“In interviews with CNN, more than two dozen House GOP lawmakers laid out their demands to avoid the nation’s first-ever debt default, ranging from new immigration policies to imposing deep domestic spending cuts. And several Republicans flatly said they would oppose raising the borrowing limit even if all their demands were met, making McCarthy’s narrow path even narrower.

“For McCarthy, the debt ceiling debate will represent one of his most difficult balancing acts if he’s elected speaker: He would need to work with Senate Democrats and President Joe Biden to cut a deal and avoid economic catastrophe without angering his emboldened right flank for caving into the left. And unlike other bills in the GOP House that will die in the Democratic-led Senate, a debt ceiling increase is one of the few must-pass items awaiting the new Congress – something many Republicans see as critical leverage.”

Additional concessions to MAGA extremists highlighted in an article in The Hill include McCarthy’s plans to: 

“Remove certain Democrats from committee assignments: McCarthy says he will remove Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) from the House Intelligence Committee and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.” 

“Investigate Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: Hard-line House conservatives are hungry for impeachments of Biden administration officials, and Mayorkas, whom they blame for the crisis at the southern border, is at the top of their list. [….] Instead, on a border trip just before Thanksgiving, McCarthy called on Mayorkas to resign or face House GOP investigations and a potential impeachment inquiry — his strongest comments on the topic to date.”

“Pass culture war–related bills: McCarthy and House Republicans have promised to advance the ‘Parents Bill of Rights,’ a bill crafted last year in response to frustrations about ‘woke’ curriculum and COVID-19–related school closures that spilled over into heated school board meetings. McCarthy has also said he would bring up a bill to define sex ‘solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth’ for purposes of Title IX in athletics, taking aim at transgender athletes.”

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