Cole Statement on Kevin McCarthy’s Plans to Resign from Congress

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, announced he plans to resign from Congress at the end of the year.

“It was with great sadness and regret that I learned my friend, colleague and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy has decided to leave Congress.

“Kevin McCarthy is the political equivalent of a Michael Jordan for his generation of political leaders. He is the best political strategist and operative, the best candidate recruiter and the most prolific fundraiser of his era. Without Kevin McCarthy, the current Republican majority would simply not exist. He not only built that majority, but he also led it effectively and energetically.

“Thanks to Speaker McCarthy, the Democratic spending machine was stopped in its tracks. Under his leadership, and with the majority he created, there will be no $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plans, no $700 billion Inflation Reduction Acts and no budget busting appropriations bills that exceed the previously agreed upon spending levels. He was a fiscal hawk. In addition to limiting spending, Kevin McCarthy helped redirect it towards the priorities of the American people. These included a stronger defense, a secure border and meeting our obligations to our veterans. Every other part of the government had to justify every penny that it requested.

“In addition to reining in spending, Kevin McCarthy oversaw the passage through the House of important legislation in the areas of border security, energy independence, parental rights and the defense of the unborn. He was a true conservative but also a practical politician, recognizing the limits of the possible while always pushing as far as his narrow majority would allow. That was something that some of his critics failed to recognize.

“I have no doubt that my friend Kevin McCarthy will be brilliantly successful in his post-congressional career. And I am certain that he will continue to be a conservative leader, activist and strategist of supreme importance on the national stage.

“House Republicans will undoubtedly miss Kevin McCarthy. His political skills, his personal charm and his consistent commitment to conservative ideals will be hard to replace. As for me, I will miss Kevin as a colleague and a friend fighting on the House floor every day for the American people.”

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