BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — California Congressman and newly elected Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy was in Bakersfield on Thursday. McCarthy spoke to local supporters at the Fox Theater downtown. The congressman thanked Bakersfield for their loyalty, and expressed pride in his hometown.
During the visit, McCarthy laid out his plans for Congress this term, including canceling funding for new IRS agents, working to create bipartisan support for a committee to investigate relationships with China, and creating a committee charged with investigating government accountability claims.
According to McCarthy's website, the congressman is a fourth generation Kern County resident who got his start in politics working as a staff member for California Congressman Bill Thomas.
In 2000, the Bakersfield native won his first public election as Trustee to the Kern Community College District. In 2002, he was elected to represent the state's 32nd Assembly District.
McCarthy was elected unanimously by his colleagues to serve as Republican Leader in the California Assembly, becoming the first freshman legislator and the first legislator from Kern County to hold the post.
McCarthy was officially elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, and later elected Republican Leader of the House in 2014. He was elected Speaker of the House on January 6. 2023.
