Perry tells abc27 he won’t back down any time soon

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – California Republican Kevin McCarthy has now secured six votes to become Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

A handful of Republicans, led by Pennsylvania Congressman Scott Perry, are blocking McCarthy’s offer. Speaking to abc27’s Capitol reporter Dennis Owens, Perry said getting it right was more important than doing it fast.

“Washington is broken. Everyone knows,” Perry said.

While Perry and the 20 or so Republicans who oppose McCarthy have a small footprint in the US House of Representatives, they have a big impact.

“Congress must work for the American people, not just the people of the swamp,” Perry added.

Republicans opposing McCarthy are questioning his conservative credentials and blaming him for what they call reckless spending and $31 trillion in debt.

“If you look at this, big, huge bills have to happen. Bills full of Christmas tree with all kinds of pork. The guy who wants to be a speaker and fight her has voted for her every time except this last time in December when he ran for public speaker,” Perry said.

It’s fewer than two dozen Republicans, but they want procedural changes and don’t trust McCarthy to do it.

“I trust him and I think he’s going to be an excellent speaker,” Congressman Lloyd Smucker (R) said.

Smucker, who supports McCarthy, is from the 11th Ward, which is adjacent to Perry’s Ward. Smucker thinks this protracted and public food fight is an embarrassment to the GOP.

“It’s frustrating for me to be held up by a small minority of members who are unwilling to go along with the 91 percent who voted for Kevin McCarthy, it’s frustrating,” Smucker said.

Perry and the other Republicans who oppose McCarthy have typically backed Donald Trump, who urged Republicans to vote for McCarthy on Wednesday, January 4th.

Perry, who is usually in sync with Trump, disagrees with the former president this time.

“No one makes me line up Dennis, as you know, there’s never a wrong time to do the right thing,” Perry concluded.

How unusual is it not to nominate a speaker for the House of Representatives in the first ballot? The last time it took more than one ballot was in 1923, almost exactly 100 years ago.