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President Joe Biden added one more call to his long list of check-ins after a surprising election night, this time ringing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who formally asked colleagues to back his run for speaker.
Biden made the call after calling for compromise during an up-beat press conference, after Republicans suffered a setback in their bid to control the Senate and failed to lock down House control, at least yet.
‘I will veto any attempt to pass the national ban on abortion,’ Biden told reporters on Wednesday, ‘but I’m ready to compromise with Republicans where it makes sense on many other issues.’
‘I’m going to ban assault weapons, or try like the devil,’ he pledged.
President Joe Biden phoned House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who formally launched his bid for Speaker, with Republican control of the House yet to be determined
The White House later announced that Biden had phoned McCarthy, without providing any additional details.
The call followed a string of phone contacts for the president, along with a text message to Pennsylvania Lt. Gov John Fetterman, who scored the big win of Tuesday night by defeating Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz in the Pennsylvania Senate race.
McCarthy and his leadership team have announced runs for reelection, but McCarthy still must nail down support, after a weaker-than-expected showing.
He wrote incoming colleagues, once again pointing to GOP gains last cycle, and referenced four times Republicans took over the House in the last 100 years.
‘While a number of races remain outstanding, I can confidently report that we will join that list, build on our significant gains from last cycle, and achieve our goal of taking back the House,’ he wrote.
‘That is why I am running to serve as Speaker of the People’s House and humbly ask for your support,’ he told them.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., walks off stage after speaking before former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in support of the campaign of Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance in Ohio. She will have outsized influence if Republicans get a narrow House majority
Joe Biden vowed to veto any attempts at a national ban on abortion during his speech after Democrats did better than expected against a ‘red wave.’ He also pledged to work with Republicans
Republicans are bracing for potential control that would rely on only a narrow majority, when any group could try to align to force concessions.
This is likely to give major sway to the House Freedom caucus and confrontational Republicans like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
She met McCarthy in his Capitol office on Wednesday.
The Georgia lawmaker torched fellow Republicans who have blamed former President Donald Trump for the lackluster performance. Some Trump-backed candidates, including Oz in Pennsylvania, flamed out.
‘Now, they’re trying to blame President Trump today. And I want to tell you how shortsighted and ridiculous that is, it is pathetic the people that are running out saying it’s his fault. No, that is a lazy, pathetic, wimpy, easy mindset,’ she told Steve Bannon on his ‘War Room Pandemic’ podcast.
‘They just want one thing and then they want to carry on without doing the hard work – the real changes in the Republican Party and the way we fight the fight,’ she added.
Results were still coming in nationwide, and another GOP lightning rod, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) founder herself trailing her Democratic opponent by dozens of votes.
‘Last night was embarrassing,’ one lawmaker fumed to the Washington Post. ‘There should have been a historic red wave, and instead it was low tide.’
Some tossups were still tipping the Democrats’ way, but Republicans appeared likely to ultimately seize control of the chamber.
But they had not yet done so late Wednesday, with Republicans still a dozen seats short of seizing a 218 vote majority.
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