The hopes of Rep. Kevin McCarthy to become the next Speaker of the House were dealt another blow over the weekend when nine House Republicans sent out a letter in response to late efforts by the embattled Californian to shore up support in advance of Tuesday’s crucial vote.

In the Sunday letter, the conservative lawmakers told colleagues that a vote for McCarthy would be a vote for the “continuation of past and ongoing, Republican failures,” and that a change in leadership style is needed if the new House GOP majority is to be successful.

The message was sent in response to a letter from McCarthy entitled “Restoring the People’s House and Ending Business as Usual,” in which the aspiring Speaker acknowledged the dysfunction in the House and pledged to make it right.

NEW: 9 House Conservatives on McCarthy response to rules/other proposals — "Expressions of vague hopes reflected in far too many of the crucial points still under debate are insufficient"

House GOP had conference call this afternoon on Rules package – final text and details TBD pic.twitter.com/vd3o4deKPs

— Emily Brooks (@emilybrooksnews) January 2, 2023

According to the letter, “Mr. McCarthy’s title, ‘Restoring the People’s House and Ending Business as Usual,’ is a welcome and telling admission of the longstanding and deep dysfunction of the House of Representatives and statement of aspiration to begin to set it right in the 118th Congress. Regrettably, however, despite some progress achieved, Mr. McCarthy’s statement comes almost impossibly late to address continued deficiencies ahead of the opening of the 118th Congress on January 3rd.”

“At this stage, it cannot be a surprise that expressions of vague hopes reflected in far too many of the crucial points still under debate are insufficient. This is especially true with respect to Mr. McCarthy’s candidacy for speaker because the times call for radical departure from the status quo — not a continuation of past, and ongoing Republican failures,” the letter states. “For someone with a 14-year presence in senior House Republican leadership, Mr. McCarthy bears squarely the burden to correct the dysfunction he now explicitly admits across that long tenure.”

On Sunday, McCarthy offered up key concessions to placate critics including making it easier for House Republicans to remove a speaker whom they are dissatisfied with, a move to “vacate the chair” in a letter that he signed as “Speaker-Designate,” a title that is being used by his allies.

MORE: Dear Colleague letter from McCarthy (signed "Speaker-Designate") aims to address more concerns from detractors and skeptics. "I will use my selections on key panels to ensure they more closely reflect the ideological makeup of our conference." https://t.co/LJbNoYfLz2 pic.twitter.com/fyof35DyPI

— Emily Brooks (@emilybrooksnews) January 2, 2023

Another carrot for McCarthy critics is the creation of a new “Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government,” to probe the abuses of the FBI and other agencies under the Biden regime.

ALSO — House GOP to create a “Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government,” an apparent recognition of request from those pressuring McCarthy to form a “Church-style” committee to investigate alleged government abuses pic.twitter.com/tj3ZZWqZQk

— Emily Brooks (@emilybrooksnews) January 2, 2023

In more bad news for McCarthy, Politico Playbook reported that it “caught up Sunday with one of the GOP fence-sitters, a member who has been in the room for these negotiations. And he told us that some of these undecided members won’t support McCarthy — even if he gives them everything they want.”

“’The problem is people don’t trust Kevin McCarthy and a number won’t vote for him. Those are just the facts,’ this lawmaker told us. ‘The list [of demands] that we offered was not for guaranteed support but rather the kinds of things that might move some of his detractors,’” according to the outlet.

In the waning hours before the House changes hands, McCarthy’s supporters are also digging in with a group of more than 70 GOP lawmakers in the Main Street Caucus sending out their own letter vowing not to vote for anyone else but him.

Never-Kevin conservatives dig in while McCarthy allies vow not to vote for anyone else https://t.co/ffsF4Dx3Ba via @americanwire_

— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) December 31, 2022

The nine Republican House members who signed the Sunday letter are Reps. Scott Perry (PA), Paul Gosar (AZ), Chip Roy (TX), Dan Bishop (NC), Andrew Clyde (GA), Andy Harris (MD) and Reps.-elect Andy Ogles (TN), Eli Crane (AZ) and Anna Paulina Luna (FL).

“Never Kevin” House members, including Reps. Andy Biggs (AZ) who is McCarthy’s top opponent for the speakership along with Matt Gaetz (FL), Matt Rosendale (MT), Bob Good (VA) and Ralph Norman (SC), did not sign the letter.

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Republished with permission from American Wire News Service

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Chris Donaldson

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Chris Donaldson is an ordinary American who is concerned about rampant corruption as well as the ongoing attacks on our way of life by those who have contempt for our hard-earned freedoms. A Navy veteran, he has been a frequent contributor to conservative websites and resides in Florida.

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