Area Lawmakers Mooney, Miller, Johnson Backed McCarthy
WHEELING -- U.S. House members representing West Virginia and East Ohio communities voted Tuesday to retain now former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and they also indicated they thought the process of vacating the speaker's office to be a waste of time as the House faces more pressing issues.
U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, who represents West Virginia's 2nd House District, which includes the Northern Panhandle noted "Republicans need to have 218 votes, or a majority of those present and voting, for Speaker so we can continue our work to end the socialist Biden agenda."
"While I agree that the House should have taken up and passed 12 single subject government spending plans before the deadline, I did not believe that a speaker fight was the best tactic right now," he said.
"House Republican leadership needs to do what they promised to do on the debt limit and government spending. It is not unintentional that we have once again kicked the can down the road with a stopgap spending measure, known as a Continuing Resolution."
"Bidenomics" has led to record high inflation taking money "out of the pockets of hardworking West Virginians every time they buy groceries or fill up on gas," he continued.
"The House cannot waste a minute working to cut wasteful Washington spending and stopping President Biden's extreme environmental policies and weaponization of the Department of Justice against his political enemies," Mooney said. "I look forward to supporting a Republican speaker who will use the power of the purse to help save America."
U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, was critical of the process before it began, taking to social media early Tuesday to voice his displeasure.
"Most Americans are rightfully pointing to Democrats as responsible for an unprecedented drug-cartel-controlled and overrun southern border, higher energy costs, across the board inflation, and rising and rampant crime in pretty much every major city in the country," Johnson said. "This is the result of Joe Biden's policies and those in Congress that support them. Voters have taken notice.
"However, a small band of my Republican colleagues are about to waste more time -- who knows how much -- on personal vendettas. This group did not come here to govern, they came here to get social media clicks and to advance themselves."
He pointed to recent action by some GOP House members.
"That was proven last week when 21 of them voted with every House Democrat to kill a very conservative bill with real conservative priorities, including: addressing the growing mess at the southern border; keeping the federal government open while cutting discretionary spending by 30%; and, establishing a process to begin reversing our staggering national debt," Johnson continued.
"We had an election for Speaker in January. It was settled. It's time to get back to the business the American people, who gave us a House majority, sent us here to do."
When contacted later in Tuesday, Johnson reiterated his support for McCarthy as debates and votes on his speakership took place.
"I'm extremely frustrated ... this is not what the American people sent us here to do," Johnson said Tuesday afternoon. "We need to be addressing President Biden's crisis at the southern border, Biden's self-inflicted runaway inflation, rising crime, increasing energy prices caused by Biden's policies, completing our appropriations bills, and a host of other issues.
"But we should not be rehashing an election for Speaker that took place in January."
Rep. Carol Miller, a Republican representing West Virginia's 1st District, agreed with Johnson, and called out fellow Republicans voting to vacate the speaker's office.
"Everyone has a choice when they are elected to Congress," she posted on X -- formerly Twitter -- on Tuesday afternoon. "You can be a workhorse, a show horse, or a horse's (rear end). The majority of House Republicans are workhorses and stand behind @SpeakerMcCarthy. Stop the grandstanding and get back to work."