However, he said, the House has advocated for a bipartisan deal directly to the White House.
“I see the relationship as respectful, so I’m not worried about wasting his time and saying, ‘Look how much I agree with you,’” Bradley said when asked if he saw the relationship with McCarthy as insurmountable.
The lack of communication with McCarthy underscores the delicate situation the House finds itself in, as it has increased the likelihood of default and the consequent damage to the economy. With the speaker and President Joe Biden embroiled in checkered negotiations, the White House hoped business groups would apply more pressure to House Republicans to help settle the standoff with minimal drama. Instead, the main lobbying group for those groups has not raised concerns about the risky policy with the speaker.
The House’s relationship with McCarthy’s office has become rocky in recent years after he endorsed several House Democrats in the 2020 election cycle. The group’s decision to criticize then-President Donald Trump in a series of issues, from trade to immigration, and siding with Biden on other issues drew backlash from conservatives.
The House has tried to repair those relationships. But the absence of more direct engagement in the debt limit fight suggests a tacit acknowledgment that he doesn’t have the clout he once did within Republican circles. To date, the Chamber has implored the White House against invoking the 14th Amendment to argue that the debt limit is constitutionally invalid. Instead, he has urged the White House to enter into negotiations with the Republicans. The House sees itself aligned with McCarthy on this issue, Bradley said, including on issues like some discretionary spending limits, speeding up energy permits and additional work requirements for government programs.
“I worked for Kevin, I worked for Speaker McCarthy. I’m a fan of Speaker McCarthy’s,” Bradley said. “On a completely personal note, I don’t know if anyone could do a better job in the situation that he’s in, that he’s in, and I have great respect for the work and the success that he has.”
The Chamber of Commerce’s reception among Hill’s Republicans has soured in recent years. The Intercept reported last fall that The Republicans intended to investigate the group.in case they take control of the House, and Axios reported that McCarthy was agitating for a leadership shakeup in the group The Republican of the Chamber No. 2, steve scalisehe also said that the relationship could not be mended until there was a change in the leadership of the House, a spokesman told POLITICO in an email.
The animosity toward the House appears to be shared by Republicans in the Senate.
“When your friends are no longer your friends, you need to stop treating them like your friends,” said a Senate Republican leadership aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to address the situation.
While the US House has not spoken directly to McCarthy’s office, the individual business entities appear to be active GOP leadership figures. Rep. Patrick McHenry (RN.C.), who has been appointed by the president to help lead the debt ceiling negotiations, said his texts have been full of messages from business leaders.