McCarthy, Roy announce progress toward deal on Day 4 of stalemate

The Hill :
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on a GOP conference call Friday morning he has made progress on negotiations with Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and others who have not been supporting him for Speaker.
But the tentative deal is not finalized with all of the holdouts, and McCarthy stressed that the deal was still tentative.
The House is set to reconvene at noon for its fourth day without a Speaker and try for the 12th time to elect one.
The GOP’s conference call, which began at 10:15 a.m., is still going. The House is set to reconvene in about 25 minutes.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on a GOP conference call Friday morning he has made progress on negotiations with Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and others who have not been supporting him for Speaker.
But the deal is not finalized with all of the holdouts, and McCarthy stressed that the deal was still tentative.
Conflicting reports and information emerged at the start of the call on Friday morning about whether McCarthy and Roy had reached a deal. McCarthy later clarified on the call that there has not been a final deal or agreement reached, telling members to stop leaking details of the call and for reporters to get off the call.
Progress, though, has been made.
“He did not say this. And any agreement will take us ALL. We are making progress… but don’t let the sharks confuse the ongoing engagement,” Roy’s press office tweeted during the call.
The lack of an agreement points to more likely failed Speaker ballots on Friday, with the possibility of members staying through the weekend. And even if lead negotiators do reach an agreement, it is far from clear whether McCarthy can flip enough of the group of 20 detractors to secure the gavel.
Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), a McCarthy backer, told Republicans on the call that budget cuts under the deal would be similar to those in 2011, according to a source.
There will also be a Church-style committee under the Judiciary panel, as previously agreed to, as well as commitments to move bills through regular order and work on a Texas border bill.
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), another McCarthy backer, also squashed rumors on the call that the deal included Roy being chair of the Rules Committee.
House Republicans will have a conference-wide call at 10:15 a.m., after top McCarthy allies and detractors met late into the night on Thursday to discuss concessions from McCarthy that he hopes can flip at least some of the group of his 20 opponents to support him.
CNBC adds: The U.S. House of Representatives entered its fourth day of voting to elect a new speaker on Friday, falling on the grim two-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
The U.S. House adjourned Thursday for a third night in a row without a speaker – the longest the chamber has gone leaderless in a century – after GOP leader Kevin McCarthy lost an 11th vote and scrambled to work out a deal with a group of 20 far-right Republicans who have blocked his bid for the top job in the House.
McCarthy still didn’t have a clear path to win as of Friday morning.
GOP leaders have scheduled a 10:15 a.m. ET conference call with rank-and-file members to brief them on the deal McCarthy’s been negotiating behind the scenes, according to NBC News. It would give some of the party’s most conservative members more power on key committees and him the gavel. The House is scheduled to reconvene at noon.
Support for McCarthy dwindled over the first three days of voting from 203 votes on Tuesday to 200 by the 11th vote on Thursday, falling far short of the 218 he needs to win the speakership. With 222 Republicans in the House, he can only afford to lose four votes.
Ahead of Thursday’s final vote, the bloc of 20 Republican holdouts opposing McCarthy’s speakership offered alternative candidates to McCarthy: Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.. received 12 votes; Kevin Hern, R-Okla., received seven votes; and former President Donald Trump, who was put forward by his longtime ally, Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, received one vote from Gaetz.
All 212 Democrats have unanimously backed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies for each vote.