Kevin McCarthy’s troubles winning the House Speaker could mean trouble for California
California’s massive congressional clout had already been diminished when Speaker Nancy Pelosi stepped down and Democrats lost control of the House.
Now comes a fresh, largely unexpected new punch: the weakened position of Kevin McCarthy.
McCarthy, a Bakersfield Republican, is struggling to win the speakership. His so-far unsuccessful bid bled into a third day of balloting, the first time in 100 years that it’s taken more than one vote to choose a speaker.
Even if McCarthy prevails, doubts will linger on just how much power he’ll have, as a determined bloc of 20 ultra-conservatives have made it clear they don’t want — or even like — him.
“What they’re after…is Kevin,” said Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, a McCarthy supporter.
California already stood to lose the considerable influence it had in recent years when Pelosi, a San Francisco Democrat, was speaker and four Californians chaired major committees. Pelosi led House Democrats for 20 years.
There were 42 California Democrats in the last Congress — nearly 10% of the 435 members. There are 40 in this Congress, but only 12 Republicans. None at the moment is slated to head a major committee.
McCarthy and California
McCarthy represents California’s new 20th Congressional District, formed through the once-a-decade process of redistricting. Highly conservative and oddly shaped, the 20th captures Clovis and a sliver of Fresno, runs south to Rosamond and grabs half of Bakersfield.
McCarthy, born and raised in Bakersfield, is a fourth-generation resident of Kern County at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley.
California Republicans insist that regardless of McCarthy’s fate, the state will not suffer.
“I don’t think the number of Republicans is what gives California its clout,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-San Marcos. “It’s the size of the economy.”
Most Republicans last year joined Democrats in making sure “community funding projects” got money in the big budget bill that won approval last month.
McCarthy and Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, refused to go along with providing money for such projects. A bid by McClintock to outlaw the earmarks failed overwhelmingly to gain support from House Republicans in November.
Remember, said Issa, “There are three parties, Republicans, Democrats and appropriators.” Appropriators are members of the House’s committee that makes the initial decisions on spending, and they have a long history of finding common ground.
One of the most powerful GOP members of that panel is Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona. Asked about California’s prospects in the new House, he said he was unworried. “We’ll get through this,” he said.
A deadlocked Congress?
What may be tougher to get through is the process. Democrats had slim majorities in the House and Senate last year, and it took until two days before Christmas to push through a final budget plan.
Later this year, Congress will not only have to approve a budget, but increase the federal government debt ceiling. Conservatives have clamored for spending reductions before they’ll go along with an increase.
These and other issues will require negotiations with the Democratic-run Senate and White House. When different parties controlled different branches of government in the recent past, that often meant stalemate over various issues and brief shutdowns of much of the government in 1995-96, 2013 and 2018-19.
One item unlikely to change is how Congress responds to state emergencies or aid to programs in need. McCarthy and fellow Republicans are likely to help California tackle recovery from disasters such as wildfires, earthquakes or other emergencies.
The Bee found last year that many Californians could care less about the politics of power in Washington D.C. unless they stand to gain from having McCarthy hold the gavel. Some constituents viewed his ascension to speaker as an opportunity to raise awareness on San Joaquin Valley issues such as water access, air quality, homelessness and health care.
The San Joaquin Valley is a politically purple stretch of mostly farmland with ample supplies of fruit, nuts and vegetables that feed the nation. Residents often feel forgotten in discussions of California politics given the attention on Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
San Joaquin Valley residents struggle to obtain water for their farms and families because of drought, depleted groundwater, rerouted river supplies and lacking infrastructure.
Kern County, which provides 70% of California’s oil, has some of the most polluted air in the country. Bakersfield had the worst annual air quality of any U.S. city over the past several years, per the American Lung Association, followed by nearby Fresno and Visalia.
Kern County also sees some of the highest heart-disease related deaths in the country. It has one of the highest obesity rates in California as people struggle to afford the food the area grows. The San Joaquin Valley has a doctor shortage and sparse medical facilities, further hindering residents’ abilities to seek treatments.
McCarthy and other California Republicans have pushed for legislation to address water and health care scarcities. While earmarks and infrastructure projects are underway to ameliorate many of these issues, with a divided Congress and few Californians in positions of power, it may be more difficult to address their continuing effects.
“I think it’s a bad sign that they can’t coalesce on a leader. How are we going to pass any budget?” asked Rep. Josh Harder, D-Tracy, an appropriations committee member.
This story was originally published January 4, 2023 at 2:16 PM.
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