US President Biden, in a congratulatory telegram to the new speaker of the US House of Representatives, Republican Kevin McCarthy, called for “responsible governance and in the interests of Americans.” McCarthy’s election ends a chapter that has witnessed acute tensions within the Republican Party, especially from pro-Trump MPs. The position of Speaker of the House of Representatives is the third most important political position in the United States after President and Vice President.
After difficult negotiations, Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday night, Saturday, after a group of MPs backing former President Donald Trump that had blocked his election agreed, thus ending a state of chaos that has not been seen before. Congress is over 160 years old, which heralds a very active debate in Parliament in the next two years, as ends with a mechanism that has seen serious tensions within the Republican Party.
The Republican majority chose Kevin McCarthy to lead her party in the US House of Representatives. 435 Republicans secretly elected McCarthy, a 57-year-old Representative from California and a leading member of the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives since 2014, alienating Andy Biggs, a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus.
The far right tried to obstruct McCarthy when a full caucus was called this January to elect the president, who is the third most important political office in the United States after president and vice president, as the party’s conservative wing had previously made clear that it would set terms before supporting McCarthy.
“I’m willing to work with the Republicans whenever possible, and voters have made it very clear that they expect the Republicans to be willing to work with me,” the president said. “It’s time to govern responsibly.”