Henry Cuellar Rejected Request to Switch Parties

“Allies of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) made multiple calls to Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas over the weekend and asked him if he would switch parties to expand the GOP majority,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The pitch to Mr. Cuellar came as Mr. McCarthy struggles to reach the 218-vote threshold needed on the House floor to secure the speakership if his party wins a narrow majority.”

“One person said Mr. Cuellar, who sits on the powerful appropriations committee, was offered committee positions and asked what it would take for him to switch. Mr. Cuellar turned them down.”