Lindsey Graham takes shot at House GOP holdouts — and says McCarthy has already 'given up too much'

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Tuesday took a shot at House Republicans who are refusing to back Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and he said it justified his vote in favor of a bill to fund the government at the end of last year.

As reported by Punchbowl News' Andrew Desiderio, Graham said that the anti-McCarthy hardliners in the House were proving Senate Republicans right that they would have trouble executing even the most basic functions of governing.

"I've been told that you shouldn't vote for the $1.7 trillion spending bill because the House is Republican, they'll make it better," he said. "I don't think that theory is holding up too well."

Graham also warned that, even if McCarthy eventually becomes Speaker, he risks being held hostage by the hardliners who have tried to deny him the gavel.

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"The idea that 85 percent [of the Republican caucus] are going to be told what to do by five percent is not a good formula," he said. "And I think Kevin's already given up too much."

In fact, McCarthy has made multiple concessions to his critics, including agreeing to a rules change that would allow just five House Republicans to essentially try to oust him at any time by collectively calling for new leadership elections.

Despite this, however, none of them have budged.