Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is used to proving critics and doubters incorrect.

McCarthy, who has a four-seat House Republican majority, has proven that he is capable of navigating the ideological waters.

You guys are wrong. “You’ve underestimated me,” said the California Republican to reporters following the passage of the debt ceiling bill on Wednesday.

Both victories came as a result of late-night scuffles and a last-minute change to appease holdouts. There was also some drama in the room. McCarthy was able to convince several lawmakers who had never voted in favor of a debt ceiling increase, despite having a much smaller majority than Paul Ryan (Wis.), and John Boehner, his GOP predecessors.

House Majority leader Steve Scalise, R-La. House Republicans shocked Washington, D.C., including the White House, because they “bet and rooted against us passing a law.”

Scalise, a Republican senator from Washington state, said that the bill to raise the debt ceiling was now passed.

McCarthy’s next challenge will be more difficult: trying to reach a deal with Biden without alienating the conservative members that he has worked so hard to win.

The debt bill wasn’t intended to be a final package. It was designed to encourage Biden to engage with McCarthy to agree to spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt limit. Some conservative House Republicans, who voted in favor of the debt bill Wednesday, are signaling they won’t support any package that is softer.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said: “I wanted twice as much.” “I don’t care about anything else but what we voted for.”

The Republicans’ bill combined a $1.5 trillion increase in the debt limit with a number of Republican priorities, including a return to fiscal 2022 budget levels, the revocation of unspent funds from COVID, and an end to Biden’s student loan forgiveness. The bill also included the large energy package passed by House Republicans last month, as well as a measure that would increase congressional authority on federal rulemaking.

The package is the culmination of months of discussion that intensified at the House GOP Issues Retreat in March.

Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.): “We’ve made very clear that the processes is not always beautiful.” Dusty Johnson (R, S.D.) said. He added that involving members early in the process “makes for a higher-quality final product.”

Members of the conference insist that rather than crippling the conference, the chaotic Speaker’s Race has helped to forge the relationships necessary to pass tough legislation such as this.

It forced unlikely bedfellows to be in the same room. Garret Graves, R-La. said that it forced people to meet each other. Graves was a leader in achieving agreement on McCarthy as Speaker and the debt bill. “This House has become much more functional [since the election of McCarthy as Speaker]”.

McCarthy will be able to get Biden into a room and discuss the debt ceiling, but that bottom-up approach won’t exist.

For the moment, the members trust Speaker.

Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma, said: “We empower Speaker McCarthy to negociate.” “He has a vision of what the conference wants to achieve.”

McCarthy was put in place to perform this task. Andy Ogles, a Republican from Tennessee, said that McCarthy had exceeded his expectations.

Ogles hasn’t seen McCarthy’s deal, so he isn’t yet ready to commit.

Ogles stated that the road ahead is difficult.

Republicans refuse to state publicly any “redlines” in debt limit discussions beyond refusing a “clean increase” without making any concessions.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said: “I won’t give you a red line. That is the stupidest possible thing.”

On Thursday, Tom Emmer, the House Majority Leader (R-Minn. ), said that if there were any additions or subtractions we would cross it when we got to it.

McCarthy is under pressure to keep another promise as the clock moves closer to a possible default. Congress will need to act this summer to raise the debt ceiling.

It’s pretty clear that regular order is not possible if you take a look at our calendar, or where we are at in the process. The calendar will not favor this, said Rep. Steve Womack. Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services & General Government.

Womack stated that the debt limit negotiations impact this.

Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security said he believes Republicans are on track to pass the 12 bills.

Joyce, speaking of the debt ceiling talks, said that “we can’t predict what the negotiations will be.” “Although some people won’t be happy, others will, on a bipartisan level, and we may reach a resolution.”

Biden said on Wednesday he would not meet McCarthy to discuss the debt limit, but that they could meet on other issues. This leaves room for President Obama and Speaker McCarthy to meet, strike an agreement and satisfy both parties.

Republicans believe they are on top of things after the bill’s passage.

“The President Biden has been slowing down our work here.” French Hill (R-Ark. ): “He’s been on an Ancestry.com Ireland tour.” said.