Dec. 16, 2022: McCarthy's ongoing speaker battle paralyzes House
The latest news this morning comes via our colleagues Olivia Beavers, Jordain Carney and Sarah Ferris, who note that McCarthy is now \u201cpunting conferencewide races for committee leadership slots until after his speaker election on Jan. 3,\u201d which could \u201cincapacitate Republicans during a crucial planning period, virtually guaranteeing a sluggish start for the new House majority.\u201d\nMcCarthy can\u2019t risk pissing off members who lose these races to run House Committees.\xa0\nThe downside of this delay is stark: \u201cdays, if not weeks, of uncertainty for GOP committees as they begin their stint in the majority. Some of the most important panels, including those charged with tax-writing and border security, won\u2019t be able to prepare bills, tee up hearings, or even hire staff. While some House committees already have uncontested leaders in place, those chairs won\u2019t be able to choose their member lineup or potentially pay staff. The GOP\u2019s subpoena power, too, will be frozen.\u201d\nPlus, deputy editor Zack Stanton and co-author Eugene Daniels recap Eugene's trip to the White House Holiday Party.\xa0\nSubscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter\nRaghu Manavalan is the Host and Senior Editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing.Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.