Welcome to the beat on Mari Melber 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-tyrate 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.

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