CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Inner party disagreements about who should be Speaker of the House are coming to a head, and a South Carolina representative found himself at the center of controversy.

Most Republicans assumed House Minority Leader Kevin Mccarthy would take on the role, but that might not be the case anymore. A group of five republicans, including South Carolina Congressman Ralph Norman, are saying they don’t think McCarthy is suitable for the job, and it shouldn’t just get handed to him.

This is the first time in four years Republicans have been in control of the House, and whoever they choose as Speaker will have a lot of control over how the House operates and which pieces of legislation get through.

Congressman Ralph Norman, and others, have expressed concern over McCarthy’s ability to stand up to the Biden Administration and Democrats.

Norman doesn’t think McCarthy has put up the fight over the years and isn’t accommodating basic requests from his colleagues.

“Look at what’s happened in the last 22 months,” Norman said. “Name one thing that this administration has done, and we’ve got to be a loud voice against it. Kevin McCarthy has just not been that loud voice.”

The vote for House speaker is happening on Jan. 3, and Norman said whoever gets the position will accept and support them.

“It’s been misinterpreted as something you shouldn’t question? Why? The vote is on Jan. 3,” Norman said. “Why not question it? Kevin’s got to present his platform to us. How is he gonna make the country solvent?”

Kevin McCarthy needs 218 votes to become Speaker, and with five republicans already saying they won’t vote for him, he might need to take another route.

That route could potentially consist of negotiating with democrats to get him enough votes.