Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) said he has “zero” confidence in House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) after passing a debt ceiling plan with President Joe Biden ahead of the looming default deadline.
Bishop told White House reporters Tuesday afternoon that McCarthy is “lying” about the way he is characterizing the bill, adding that the bill is filled with “things that are cosmetic and artificial.”
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Bishop is one of at least 23 Republicans who have openly refused to support the debt bill, many of whom are members of the House Freedom Caucus.
"This is a career-defining vote for every Republican," Bishop said during a Freedom Caucus press conference Tuesday morning.
“What basis is there for confidence?” Bishop asked when asked about his support for McCarthy. “You cannot forfeit the tool of Republican unity. It was not necessary to do.”
Bishop told Politico he is considering a push to oust McCarthy.
"It is inescapable to me. It has to be done,” Bishop said, becoming the first Republican to support removing McCarthy over the debt ceiling debacle on Tuesday as the speaker scrambles to gain his party’s support.
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The embattled bill will face its first test in the House Rules Committee Tuesday afternoon, as 13 members will decide whether to approve the legislation to the floor. A few GOP hard-liners, including Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Ralph Norman (R-SC), have already said they would attempt to block its passage.
“Mccarthy has lost some trust in how this has been handled,” Bishop said.