Steny Hoyer: I'd be 'surprised' if Kevin McCarthy isn't the next House Speaker

Steny Hoyer said he would be surprised if Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy weren’t elected by his Party to become the next Speaker of the House – but stopped short of saying whether he’s up to the task.

McCarthy’s influence in the GOP will be put to the test this week when elections are held for who will be Speaker of the House for the 118th Congress.

It comes as a handful of Republican representatives have banded together to try and block McCarthy from ascending to the speakership.

‘I would be surprised if he doesn’t [win],’ Representative Hoyer insisted to CNN‘s State of the Union on Sunday morning. ‘My expectation – he’ll be Speaker.’

The new Congress will convene on Tuesday, January 3 and will see Republicans take back a majority in the lower chamber – but not in the Senate.

House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer said Sunday that he would be ‘surprised’ if Kevin McCarthy weren’t elected by his Party to become next Speaker of the House

Election on Tuesday will determine whether McCarthy will take the top House role in the 118th Congress, which kicks off on January 3 and will see Republicans take back a majority

Despite the GOP retaking the House, members are seeing a rift between some far-right lawmakers within the Party who claim there needs to be a shake-up in leadership.

McCarthy, a California congressman, is facing a Speaker election challenge from Arizona Republican Representative Andy Biggs.

Biggs, along with Representatives Matt Gaetz of Florida, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Bob Good of Virginia and Matt Rosendale of Montana have all publicly expressed their plans to vote against McCarthy in the January 3 elections.

Four of the members are within the House Freedom Caucus with the exception of Gaetz.

Arizona GOP Rep. Andy Biggs launched a bid against McCarthy for Speaker – and is joined by four other Republican lawmakers looking to prevent McCarthy from winning

The five lawmakers have organized to try and prevent McCarthy from garnering the 218 votes needed to take the gavel from outgoing Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They have also vowed not to be picked off individually by McCarthy and said they would discuss any concessions he offers.

There are 222 House Republicans in the 118th Congress, meaning McCarthy can only afford to lose four votes if he wants to prevail in his bid.

When asked if McCarthy has what it takes to be Speaker, Hoyer said: ‘We’ll see.’

Hoyer added that if McCarthy wins the election, it’s proof that he’s able to at least put in the work against adversity.

‘He obviously – if he gets 218 votes – has the ability to put together the votes to be the leader of the Party,’ Hoyer told CNN. ‘And he will then be tested as to whether or not he can lead.’

‘But, you know, he’s worked pretty hard at it. He got close to the Holy Grail, and he had to step back. He didn’t give up, he kept going. And it appears to me that he will be the Speaker.’

Hoyer says he has a good ‘working relationship’ with McCarthy.