Kevin McCarthy bid farewell to Congress on Friday with a sparsely attended address on the House floor, marking an end to 15 years in Congress bookended by his unprecedented ouster from the speakership and his resignation midway through his term.
His tenure culminated in him becoming the most powerful Republican lawmaker in the country, only to succumb to a handful of far-right detractors who orchestrated his removal—ending his tenure as House leader at just nine months and leaving the House in chaos for weeks.
Still, McCarthy claimed, he “loved every single day.”
ADVERTISEMENT
“I will be departing, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop serving,” McCarthy said in his final address before the House.
“To those colleagues on the other side of the aisle, I thank you for the work you’ve done,” he said.
McCarthy reflected on his decision to strike a deal with the Biden administration to avert a government shutdown, a move that kept the government functioning while irking some Republicans to the extent they organized a coup against him.
“I knew the day we decided to make sure to choose to pay our troops while war was breaking out, instead of shutting down, was the right decision,” he said. “I also knew a few would make a motion. Somehow they disagreed with that decision... I would do it all again.”
McCarthy lauded his midterm wins as a bright spot as the GOP continued to lose national elections.
“I had the privilege of being a leader for five years and I think about did I leave this place better than I received it?” he asked. “And [in] that same time frame, the party I love, lost in the senate both cycles. Lost the presidency. But we won. The secret? The quality of the candidate.”
McCarthy has endorsed former President Donald Trump in the 2024 primary, whose reputation he has worked to mend after his election defeat to Biden and sitting by during the deadly attack on the Capitol two years prior.
McCarthy’s final month saw the former speaker out of power and taking aim at those responsible for his removal—apparently shoving a fellow Republican and reportedly cursing out Trump for failing to intervene against his removal.
Less than three months ago McCarthy had lauded his reputation as the guy that never quits. Now he departs as the only lawmaker to have been removed as House speaker.
“I thank this nation for creating a body that is represented by the people,” McCarthy said. “I think we should rise to the occasion one more time.”
