Kevin McCarthy bid farewell on Thursday to the House he’s called home since 2007, capping a tumultuous final year that saw him eke out the speakership, then get ousted and eventually announce his resignation.
The California Republican, who spent the majority of his time in Congress in leadership positions, announced earlier this month his plans to resign from office by the end of year, making Thursday his last legislative day in the House.
Looking back on a brief tenure as speaker mostly spent hamstrung by a slim majority and a renegade faction of his own party — who fought him on lifting the debt ceiling and on appropriations bills, and who ultimately ousted him — McCarthy chose to keep it positive.
