Newly elected U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy sought to rally Republicans with pledges to champion federal spending cuts, strengthen border security and counter "woke indoctrination,” hinting at his dependence on a small group of populist conservatives over the next two years.
Fresh from a leadership struggle that lasted more than four days and raised questions about his party’s capacity to fulfill basic functions of governing, McCarthy now confronts a Democratic-controlled Senate and White House at the helm of a slender, fractious House majority.
The ideological divisions, distrust and grievances that flared over 15 ballots to pick a House speaker — usually a formality at the opening of a new Congress — signals difficulties ahead in mustering votes for essential tasks such as keeping the government open and avoiding a U.S. credit default.