Kevin McCarthy, GOP's choice for House speaker, faces challenge

Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Rep. Kevin McCarthy earned the nod of House Republicans as their nominee for Speaker of the House, but not without a challenge within the party.

House Republicans met behind closed doors Tuesday to vote for a nominee while the party is one seat away from taking a slim majority in the House. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy won the nomination as expected. What was unexpected was the resistance he faced from the most right-winged members of his party.

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) announced late Monday that he would challenge McCarthy. Biggs is a former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, which is considered the most conservative bloc within the party. The vote favored McCarthy 188-31.

While McCarthy is now in line to take the gavel when the 118th Congress begins on Jan. 3, the 31 votes against him makes the matter far less certain. Biggs' challenge reveals a lack of unity within the party, which some Republicans suggest could stand in the way of capturing the 218 votes needed to win the speakership.

"If we don't unify behind Kevin McCarthy, we're opening up the door for the Democrats to be able to recruit some of our Republicans," said Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-Ga.).

McCarthy has not been without his critics in the Republican House. The Freedom Caucus in particular is divided in its perception of his ability to lead in a direction it approves of, an anonymous McCarthy supporter said, according to Politico.

The Freedom Caucus' objections to McCarthy stem from its desires to see internal rules change. Some of the changes would weaken the position of the speaker and increase the power of individual members, according to The Hill.

"By December 16th, you'll have a pretty good idea whether Mr. McCarthy is for the job," Biggs said Tuesday on the War Room podcast, hosted by Steve Bannon.