Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., revealed on Sunday that he is being placed on the House Republican Steering Committee in exchange for supporting Kevin McCarthy for House Speaker.
Donalds revealed the new appointment during a Sunday appearance on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.
FILE: Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., is interviewed on his way to the House chamber, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, to attend the 14th vote for speaker of the House, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
His appearance followed an epic 15-ballot election for McCarthy to become House speaker. To become speaker, McCarthy had to make concessions to a small group of hardliners who refused to support him until he yielded to their demands.
“I’m frankly just happy that it’s all over with, and that we got something transformational and sound for the American people,” Donalds said.
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The committee’s purpose is to assign fellow Republicans to other House committees. Donalds noted that his appointment to the Steering Committee was an important step to having “more [Republican] voices on more committees.”
Donalds was among a group of 20 hardline Republicans who refused to vote for McCarthy after he initially voted in his favor. He then switched to support Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, before his fellow Republicans nominated him for the role.
FILE: Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., swears in the officers of the House of Representatives in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023 in Washington, DC.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“Early on I gave Kevin the benefit of the doubt. But it came pretty quickly clear to me that we were getting nowhere. And so, at that point, it was saying, ‘OK, how long is this going to go? What’s this going to play out like?’” Donalds said. “And so it was…
