McCarthy warns key GOP agenda could be stalled if leadership vote doesn't move forward

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Kevin McCarthy vows to lift vaccine mandate for military

House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., discusses his route to House speakership and unpacks national security issues, including China and Big Tech.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy warned that key GOP agenda items, such as securing the border, will be stalled if he doesn’t get enough Republicans to support him as speaker of the House. 

"If people don’t come along, that’s going to delay our ability to secure the border. That’s going to delay our ability to become energy independent. That’s gonna delay our ability to repeal 87,000 IRS agents. That’s gonna delay our ability to hold government accountable. There's no subpoena that can go out until that gets done," McCarthy told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on "Sunday Morning Futures." 

House Republicans nominated McCarthy as their House speaker pick last month in a 188 to 31 vote during an internal conference meeting.

At least five Republicans have spoken out that they will not vote for McCarthy as House leader in January. The GOP is expected to hold a 222-seat majority in January, compared to an estimated 213 seats for Democrats. McCarthy can't lose more than four Republican votes if all 435 members of the House vote next month. 

5 REPUBLICANS PUBLICLY OPPOSE MCCARTHY'S SPEAKERSHIP BID, PUTTING ASCENSION TO LEADERSHIP ROLE IN JEOPARDY

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy joins Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" with host Maria Bartiromo. (Fox News)

"And right now, it's actually delaying our ability to govern as we go. So I'm hopeful that everybody comes together, finds a way to govern together. This is what the American people want. Otherwise, we'll be squandering the majority," he added on "Sunday Morning Futures."

FREEDOM CAUCUS DEMANDING MCCARTHY CEDE SOME POWER AS PRICE FOR SUPPORT

GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz, Ralph Norman, Andy Biggs, Bob Good and Matt Rosendale have all publicly voiced opposition to McCarthy, while other House Republicans are allegedly on the fence about supporting him.

Rep Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., talks to Fox News Digital at CPAC in Dallas, Texas, on Aug. 6, 2022. (Fox News Digital/Haris Alic)

"House Republicans need a leader with credibility across every spectrum of the GOP conference in order to be a capable fighting force for the American people," Gaetz previously said of the House speaker position. "That person is not Kevin McCarthy."

McCarthy told Bartiromo that he met with President Biden last week, and "laid out very clearly what the difference will be with the new Republican majority."

HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS WANTS OPTION OF REMOVING THE SPEAKER AS PRICE FOR GIVING MCCARTHY THE GAVEL

President Joe Biden (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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"We're working through what is the NDAA, the national defense bill, we will secure lifting that vaccine mandate on our military. Because what we're finding is they're kicking out men and women that have been serving.… That's the first victory of having a Republican majority and we'd like to have more of those victories and we should start moving those now," McCarthy explained.