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McCarthy leads delegation to Middle East

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House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy earlier this week returned from leading a congressional delegation to the Middle East to examine the unfolding campaign against ISIL and to confer with some of America’s partners about regional security threats.

McCarthy was joined by Texas Rep. Max Thornberry, the incoming chairman of the House Armed Services Committee; California’s Devin Nunez (22nd Congressional  District) and incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and New Jersey Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, chairman of the Defense Appropriations Committee. The three met in Riyadh with Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to discuss “a number of issues of common concern,” according to the state-run news agency.

While visiting U.S. troops still stationed in Iraq, McCarthy also met with Bakersfield native, Sgt. Jodi Bradshaw.

“The United States is continually mindful of the significant challenges posed by ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) and other radical extremists to our country and our allies in the Middle East,” McCarthy said in a statement released on Wednesday. “Congress remains concerned about our strategy to confront these challenges, and we plan to conduct vigorous oversight of the president’s policies in the weeks and months to come. America must remain resolute in confronting terrorists and other adversaries that mean to harm us and our partners.”

Back home on Capitol Hill, McCarthy has joined House Speaker John Boehner in a floor fight against Tea Party members in the push to pass the so-called “cromnibus” spending bill. “Cromnibus” is slang for an “omnibus” spending bill that packages many of the smaller regular appropriations bills into one larger single piece of legislation. Anti-Boehner Republicans tried again this week to stop the bill because it reportedly did not defund Obamacare or cut off funding for the president’s executive action on immigration. About one-quarter of House Republicans oppose the spending bill because of these issues. Boehner was able to narrowly pass the spending bill because 57 Democrats voted for it despite the opposition of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

All of this action may set up a new power structure in the House. Pelosi is Democratic minority leader but the real power of negotiation may lie with Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, currently serving as minority whip, who helped to negotiate deal with Boehner to provide enough Democrats to pass the spending bill. Next year, Boehner and McCarthy  are scheduled to negotiate with Hoyer and Pelosi on what many political observers deem “must-pass” legislation.

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