GOP staffers may soon be without pay if House Speaker fight drags on beyond Jan. 13
GOP leader Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) opponents have so far shown no sign of giving in -- and their intransigence could soon prove costly for Republican congressional staffers.
Politico reports that guidance sent out to committees in the House of Representatives this week lays out a dire situation for GOP staffers if the fight over the speakership is not resolved by January 13.
"Committees need to be aware that should a House Rules package not be adopted by end of business on January 13 no committee will be able to process payroll since the committee’s authority for the new Congress is not yet confirmed,” the memo states.
What's more, the memo says that if the House has not passed a rules package by January 13th, it could disrupt staffers' access to a ten-year student loan forgiveness program that could also impact their ability to qualify for loan forgiveness.
McCarthy faces a daunting challenge in his efforts to become House Speaker, as he can only afford to lose four Republican votes and already has five Republicans who have come out as hard "no" votes against him.
The first vote for the speakership is set to happen on January 3.