Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated in the past 29 minutes through December 21, 2025, 6:16 PM UTC, that he would not have allowed members to leave Washington during government shutdown threats and urged Speaker Mike Johnson to unite Republicans on healthcare to counter a surge in discharge petitions, according to Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich's X post. McCarthy emphasized refocusing the GOP majority, noting more discharge petitions in the last three weeks than in 30 years, and stated the upcoming election will center on the economy and healthcare. He advised finding a bill to attract Democrats and avoiding last-minute deadlines, per the X post quoting his interview. In a separate development during the same period, KISS co-founder Gene Simmons told CNN's Manu Raju he maintains a "terrific" relationship with President Donald Trump, according to an InsidePolitics X post.
