“One of the defining skills of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) tenure is his ability to identify issues that divide moderate Democrats from their more progressive counterparts,” Axios reports.
“On issues ranging from crime, immigration, energy policy, Covid-19 mandates and, most recently, Israel, McCarthy has brought bills to the floor that win bipartisan support from Republicans and a sizable number of Democrats — while both marginalizing and raising the profile of polarizing progressives.”
“McCarthy rose to power in the GOP conference as a political operator, not a policy wonk. He’s more attuned to how Republicans can keep the House majority than crafting consequential legislation in a divided Congress. While many of these votes are symbolic, they’re designed to re-emerge in campaign advertisements against vulnerable Democrats in 2024.”
