Confidence In Speaker McCarthy Increases Following Debt Limit Deal

55% of senior Congressional staffers think Kevin McCarthy will remain speaker this entire Congress, according a new survey from Punchbowl News.

• The survey shows that McCarthy's standing in Congress has increased following a strong performance in debt limit negotiations with the White House which saw him see off a robust challenge from the conservative wing of the GOP.
• Punchbowl reports that in April, shortly after the prolonged struggle to claim the speaker's gavel, only 34% of staffers believed McCarthy would last the entire Congress.
• Punchbowl further notes that, "85% of senior staffers think McCarthy is more effective as speaker than they initially thought he would be."
• The survey indicates that initial fears of political instability due to McCarthy's perceived weak control of his party may have been overstated, and McCarthy is likley to continue to effectively balance competing GOP factions and produce legislation.