WASHINGTON — A scramble is on to fill the top GOP jobs in the House after Speaker John Boehner’s surprise resignation. Now the same conservatives who pushed him out are maneuvering to yank the next leadership team to the right.
The frenzy will help determine how Congress contends with keeping the government running and avoiding a federal default — and whether Republicans can take back the White House next year.
The front-runner for the speaker’s job, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, made his candidacy official Monday in a letter to fellow GOP lawmakers in which he pledged to fight for conservative principles and listen to all members. “I promise you that we will have the courage to lead the fight for our conservative principles,” he wrote.
McCarthy, a Californian in his fifth term, has been endorsed by Boehner. But he faces an opponent in Rep. Daniel Webster, a former speaker of the House in Florida.
