Welcome to the beat. I'm Ari Melburgh, and all eyes are on Washington.

As newly elected Speaker McCarthy heads to the White House this week to meet with President Biden.

It's a shift to governing and negotiation after the chaotic start to his speakership,

which sets the table on how McCarthy leads right now and whether he can keep this narrow majority in line.

Key to any leverage that he does claim in this week's White House meeting will be how he

deals with that caucus after the small but effective group of Republicans showed their impact.

Everybody saw it taking the Speaker vote hostage to the evident anger of some McCarthy allies.

One, yanked away mid-tirid against Congressman Gates.

Now, that process was used to take new powers away from leadership and empower McCarthy foes,

including the leader of that effort,

Matt Gates. The New York Times notes this in a brand new piece, reporting that whatever one

thinks of Gates, his critics across the spectrum now acknowledge that he must be dealt with

after the speaker clash. And McCarthy allies don't like it, saying it's not the outcome they preferred,

but Gates's stature has been elevated. That's true on process, given these new house rules,

and many say true on his visibility as well. McCarthy's setbacks in this early period,

they often played as Gates's gains.

There are a handful of far-right holdouts, and they warn they will not support him.

The more conservative Freedom Caucus members have pledged not to vote for McCarthy.

Kevin McCarthy celebrating a victory that almost didn't happen.

I mean, this doesn't, yeah, this looks like a bit of a heated conversation.

Yeah, this is an incredible moment.

McCarthy is now directly engaging Matt Gates.

...