(Jacquelyn Martin/AP)White House budget director Mick Mulvaney acknowledged having discussions with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy about replacing House Speaker Paul D. Ryan before Ryan retires from Congress next year, a conservative newsmagazine reported Monday. “I’ve talked with Kevin about this privately but not as much publicly,” Mulvaney said, according to the Weekly Standard. It comes against the backdrop of a freshly roiled House Republican Conference, thanks to moderate members who have recently defied both Ryan (Wis.) and McCarthy (Calif.) to force a potentially divisive debate on immigration. Mulvaney, who also serves as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is no stranger to palace intrigue in the House. Mulvaney’s suggestion that forcing a speaker election this year would put Democrats in a tight spot would seem to be at odds with electoral reality.

Source: Washington Post May 21, 2018 22:05 UTC