Politics

Andy Biggs Says GOP Needs To ‘Make A Change’ And Drop Kevin McCarthy As Speaker Nominee

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Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona called for Republicans to drop Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California as the party’s nominee for speaker of the House Thursday.

“We need to make a change in trajectory, a change of path, a change in process, a change of procedure, a change in policy,” Biggs told “America Reports” host John Roberts. “All of those are not going to happen with the current leadership — leader at the top, and he’s had 12 years when at or near the apex of Republican leadership, it’s time to make a change. And if we make those changes, I think we’ll get a better process, which will lead to better policy for the American people.”

Biggs launched an unsuccessful challenge to McCarthy for the nomination of the House Republican caucus to serve as Speaker of the House, losing by a 188-31 vote on Nov. 15. Biggs announced he would still run for the post in spite of McCarthy being the Republican nominee.

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“I’m hearing from people who I had not heard from literally for months and months and months who have come up to me and said I think you are right, we need a change, and we need to change the direction,” Biggs said.

McCarthy needs 218 votes to become speaker of the House. At least five Republicans have said they will not back McCarthy for speaker, according to Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, enough to deny McCarthy the speakership.

“We are not in complete disarray,” Biggs said after Roberts played a clip of several Democratic representatives claiming the Republican Party was in trouble. “Republicans, whether it’s on the more liberal end of the spectrum or more conservative end of the spectrum, we agree on many, many policy issues.”

Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska threatened to work with Democrats to elect “a moderate alternative” as speaker, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

McCarthy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.