Opposition to Rep. Kevin McCarthy becoming House Majority Leader was palpable on the right at the beginning of 2023. During a drawn-out fight, Rep. Chip Roy and other conservatives held up his promotion to secure a new rules package and guarantees surrounding investigations. 

Eventually, McCarthy secured the votes after making several concessions, and at that point, it was fair to wipe the slate clean. He deserved a chance to prove himself, and for the most part, he's been a fairly good leader who has kept his promises regarding investigations into the weaponization of government and the Biden family's corruption. 

I suppose it was just a matter of time before he gave cause for disappointment, though. According to a new report, McCarthy has now put up a big roadblock to impeaching Joe Biden. Namely, he wants to hold a vote before even beginning an impeachment inquiry. 

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy made clear to Breitbart News on Friday that if House Republicans move forward with an impeachment inquiry into Democrat President Joe Biden, the move would come not as an announcement from him or anyone else, but from a formal vote on the floor of the House.

“To open an impeachment inquiry is a serious matter, and House Republicans would not take it lightly or use it for political purposes. The American people deserve to be heard on this matter through their elected representatives,” McCarthy told Breitbart News. “That’s why, if we move forward with an impeachment inquiry, it would occur through a vote on the floor of the People’s House and not through a declaration by one person.”

I hate to be the cynic here, but this is McCarthy taking an out on impeachment, likely ensuring it will never take place. By contrast, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the 2019 impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump from the floor.

The entire point of the inquiry is to gather enough facts so that representatives can make an informed vote. Having them vote on the inquiry will just ensure all Democrats vote no, while Republicans would have to garner votes from nearly all of their members. That will be very difficult to do given the number of moderate Republicans who exist in the caucus. How many of them want to go on record voting to begin an impeachment inquiry into Biden? 

McCarthy is hanging those moderates out to dry. Either the inquiry fails because they vote no and they get shellacked from the right or the inquiry succeeds because they vote yes and they get shellacked from the left. Why do that? Why not just start the inquiry based on the word of the Speaker, protecting the caucus and unleashing investigators to do their jobs? 

One answer may be that McCarthy doesn't intend for there to be a vote. He's definitely not going to hold one if he doesn't have the numbers. Consider this the first major black mark of his tenure. I don't understand the strategy here. He promised an inquiry and now it's completely up in the air whether one will occur.

With that said, maybe he's got the votes and I'm just being cynical. I guess we'll find out.