Washington - Thursday January 5, 2023: It was Treasure Coast Congressman Brian Mast’s turn at bat to nominate Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the U.S. House Thursday afternoon in Washington, but it wasn’t enough to end the impasse.
After seven failed attempts to get McCarthy elected, Congressman Mast stepped to the plate and took a swing at nominating McCarthy ahead of the 8th vote. Mast represents the 21st Congressional District that covers St. Lucie and Martin Counties and stretches into the northern portion of Palm Beach County.
Mast directly addressed many of the holdouts, the 20 or so fellow Republican representatives who have refused to vote for McCarthy. “I have the same fear that some of you have that we squander this opportunity to right the wrongs that have gone on here for the last 2 and 4 years, and there are very real wrongs. I have that fear, just like you do."
But he said - “I fear that we don’t live up to what some of our friends in arms have very literally given their lives for. And I don’t mind saying that on occasion that absolutely brings a tear to my eyes because it does,” which brought the House to a standing ovation.
Mast appealed to the hold-outs to support McCarthy for Speaker.
“ Kevin McCarthy is different. He’s not Paul Ryan. He’s not going to tell you - ‘You’ll get a term limits bill …’ and then you won’t. He’s different. He’s not John Boehner, he didn’t throw you all who disagreed with him out on your cans and say – ‘I don’t want to hear from you I don’t want to listen to you.' And I stand before you today and say at the direction of the Republican Conference and I advance the name of Kevin McCarthy, very proudly, as the next Speaker of the House.”
But the eight vote came up short, again failing to elect McCarthy as Speaker, and the House moved on for another try.