‘Taliban 20’: the rebel Republicans digging in against Kevin McCarthy’s US House speaker bid
- About 20 hardline Republicans in the US House of Representatives oppose Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become the next speaker
- The renegade Republicans were given their unflattering nickname by frustrated lawmakers from their own side
The House cannot perform any of its vital functions – including overseeing national security, investigating government misconduct and passing legislation – until its presiding officer is in place, spelling paralysis in Congress.
Here are some of McCarthy’s most prominent opponents:
Scott Perry
Perry is the chair of the House Freedom Caucus, the furthest right ideological grouping in the House and the home of almost all McCarthy opponents.
Perry played a key role in former president Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election via the attempted installation of a new acting attorney general, according to the House committee that investigated the matter.
Byron Donalds
Second-term Representative Donalds emerged from relative obscurity this week when he received some 20 votes in multiple rounds of voting in the speakership election.
