House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Thursday his main priority is keeping Republicans in the majority.
“What means most to me is that in the next Congress there is an opportunity for a Republican to be speaker and not Nancy Pelosi,” Mr. McCarthy, California Republican, said on Fox News.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan announced Wednesday that he would be retiring from Congress at the end of his term, giving Mr. McCarthy, who is next in line, the opportunity to step forward.
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise is also up for consideration, but Republicans are facing a tough re-election fight in November. Some Republicans have speculated, however, that the next speaker will be selected, at least unofficially, prior to the midterms.
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