Outgoing California Rep. Kevin McCarthy commented on his upcoming retirement and said he does not want to be seen similar to fellow California Rep. Nancy Pelosi who has been in Congress for over 35 years.
McCarthy, who will retire from the House by the end of the year, spoke with Fox News' Brian Kilmeade about his decision to exit Congress. Kilmead asked McCarthy why he was letting Pelosi "outlast" his tenure in the House.
“That’s probably not the legacy that I want, that I just stayed around,” McCarthy said in response. “I wanted to make sure I did something here.”
“I mean, one of the reasons Speaker Pelosi wants to stay around, she said they need her to fix the problems in San Francisco, but she’s been there the whole time the problems were created,” McCarthy continued. “So I believe … the Founders have always designed this to have new blood come in.”
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“I will continue to recruit our country’s best and brightest to run for elected office,” McCarthy said in his early-December announcement of his retirement. “The Republican Party is expanding every day, and I am committed to lending my experience to support the next generation of leaders.” “I never could have imagined the journey when I first threw my hat into the ring,” the Republican added. “I go knowing I left it all on the field—as always, with a smile on my face. And looking back, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” Pelosi has served in the House of Representatives since 1987 and had two separate stints as Speaker of the House. In 2007, Pelosi was elected for her first tenure as Speaker under the Obama administration, which lasted until 2011. Pelosi was once again elected Speaker of the House in 2019 and served until January 2023. In January 2023, McCarthy was elected Speaker of the House after a historically contested 15-ballot long election. McCarthy served as Speaker until he was ousted by Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, along with seven other House Republicans, who voted to vacate the office of Speaker of the House. Several weeks passed of Republican infighting as the Conference proposed a series of nominees to succeed McCarthy, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. The House ultimately elected Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson as Speaker after nearly a month of turmoil. McCarthy is the first Speaker in United States history to be removed as Speaker of the House.
