Democrats’ Sherman Floats Possible Deal to Make McCarthy Speaker

(Bloomberg) -- House Democrat Brad Sherman floated a potential deal Wednesday that would trade Democratic votes to make beleaguered Republican Kevin McCarthy the speaker of the House in return for rules aimed at preventing a US government shutdown or a debt limit crisis.

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“Eventually, he’s going to have to cut a deal with Democrats, because it’s going to be easier to get a deal with us than with his 20-headed monster he has over there,” the California Democrat said on Bloomberg Radio’s “Balance of Power” program. “He’s going to have to agree with Democrats to not hold hostage the full faith and credit of the United States, to not put us in a position where we’re going to shut down the government. And eventually I think Americans will benefit from this ugly picture of chaos.”

Sherman said a deal could include a rule allowing the Democratic leader to bring bills to the floor that would keep the government open and funded and suspend the debt limit in the coming months, and perhaps concessions on committee staffing and ratios as well.

“I think Democrats have accepted the idea that we’re not going to have a Democratic speaker,” he said. The choice for Democrats, he added, would be “a Kevin McCarthy who’s made concessions to us to make sure that the government isn’t shut down and the full faith and credit of the United States is not destroyed.”

McCarthy, however, risks losing significantly more support among Republicans if he were to agree to rules so favorable to Democrats.

Sherman said he expects “pain, sleep deprivation, boredom” as the votes go on first.

He noted the record is 133 roll call votes for speaker.

“As every sports fan knows, records were made to be broken,” he quipped.

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