Newt Gingrich calls them “blackmailers.” The Wall Street Journal editorial page calls them “masochists” and “dissenters.” I just call them dumb.  

Who’s the “they” in all of this? “They” are the Republican House members — I guess there are really only five of them — who oppose Representative Kevin McCarthy for speaker. I would say it’s long past time that all GOP House members join hands in supporting Mr. McCarthy.  

Stop show-boating, or stalling, or threatening to undermine the significance of a new Republican-run house, and let’s start moving toward putting together a new GOP agenda for economic prosperity.  

It’s also high time that the minority Republican leadership in the Senate stop betraying Mr. McCarthy and his new House majority, and give them a shot at putting together a prosperity plan right now. Not a year from now, but now. 

Mr. McCarthy has done a monumental job traveling the country in support of a new Republican majority in the House. Don’t forget, the GOP picked up 14 seats in 2020 and another 9 in November — and both of those were tough elections for Republicans. He has been a herculean fundraiser.   

Right off the bat, a couple weeks ago he won the backing of 85 percent of his conference. Just today, 14 senior House Republican leaders issued a letter of support — including Representatives Jim Jordan, James Comer, Michael McCaul, and Patrick McHenry.  

On top of that, 54 Republican House members have started an “Only Kevin” movement, donning pins with “Only Kevin” abbreviated to “OK.” “OK” is OK.  

The head of the Republican Study Committee, Jim Banks, is supporting Mr. McCarthy. President Trump is supporting Mr. McCarthy. Apparently, five GOP House members continue to oppose him. Why? I don’t know.  

They claim to be conservatives, but Kevin McCarthy is a conservative. Always has been. In fact, one reason he opposes this outrageous omnibus spending bill, pushed by the Republican Senate leadership, is because he wants to get working on curbing spending. Not a year from now, but now. He understands the inflationary impact. 

He’s also in favor of restoring energy independence and opening up the fossil fuel spigots — I’m hoping it’s H.R. 1. He’ll use the House power of the purse to defund 87,000 IRS agents, costing an outrageous $80 billion. He’ll work to make the Trump tax cuts permanent. He’ll work to reverse the Biden regulatory war against business.  

Mr. McCarthy is already strongly supporting Republican oversight and investigation of the Hunter Biden laptop scandal and the FBI Twitter scandal, among others. He’ll devote considerable resources to securing the southern border and moving back toward Trump policies that worked — including finishing the wall, “Remain in Mexico,” catch-and-deport, and a merit-based legal immigration system.  

This is all incredibly important as the Title 42 health restriction expires in two days.  

Mr. McCarthy is a strong supporter of parental involvement in the schools and school choice. He’s tough on China. He’s tough on crime. None of these policy views is new. As long as I’ve known him, Kevin McCarthy has supported what I continue to call a conservative “prosperity agenda” for America.  

So, it’s time for Republicans to wise up. It’s time for the GOP to unanimously endorse Kevin McCarthy as the next House speaker. Instead of masochism. Instead of blackmailing. Instead of dissenting. Instead of show-boating. Instead of spending, taxing, regulating. 

It’s time to Save America. It’s time to kill the omnibus spending bill. It’s time for prosperity. It’s time for Kevin McCarthy. Call it: “OK.” 

From Mr. Kudlow’s broadcast on Fox Business News.