Firebrand Rep. Matt Gaetz on Sunday insisted his efforts to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy were worth it — even as his fellow Republicans kicked him out of Congress in retaliation.
Gaetz (R-Fla.) led a faction of eight Republicans in support of a motion to vacate the seat — or oust McCarthy (R-Calif.) — in a 216 to 210 vote, with a united bloc of Democrats, last week, prompting condemnation from others in the GOP.
“Absolutely,” Gaetz said when asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press” if the move was worth it despite the consequences for himself.
“Look, I’m here to fight for my constituents,” he added. “And I’m here to make sure that America is not on the road to financial ruin.”
Gaetz – who is rumored to be eyeing a run for Florida governor – was angered by McCarthy’s decision to introduce a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown on September 30.
Instead, he wanted Congress to take up the 12 necessary appropriations bills one at a time, something McCarthy agreed to do, even after passing the stopgap measure.
House Republican caucuses have slammed Gaetz in response, even reportedly planning to fire him from the House GOP caucus.
“That’s crazy,” Gaetz quipped about the threats against him.
Kevin McCarthy accused Matt Gaetz of harboring a personal animosity toward him. AP
Still, Gaetz pledged to back either of the top two challengers to replace McCarthy who have the House GOP conference majority — Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Oh.) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.)
“Yes. If one of them gets the most support in the conference, I look forward to voting for him on the floor,” Gaetz said.
He declined to endorse either for now, saying he plans to wait for Tuesday’s Republican candidate forum.
Matt Gaetz has long been a thorn in Kevin McCarthy’s side.NBC
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who joined Gaetz’s effort to unseat McCarthy, endorsed Jordan on Sunday.
“I’m going to support Jim Jordan for speaker,” Mace told CBS’ “Face the Nation,” citing Jordan’s “values, his work ethic, his ability to get around everybody on policy.”
One of Mace’s gripes with McCarthy was his lack of action on his legislation to address women’s issues during the nine months he served with the gavel.
McCarthy disputed his suggestion that he had broken a promise to her on the matter.
Internally, many Republicans were upset by Nancy Mace’s defection because she had been considered a relatively moderate member compared to the likes of Matt Gaetz.Getty Images
Moderator Margaret Brennan blasted Mace for allegations that Jordan turned a blind eye to allegations of sexual assault against the wrestling team’s doctor while coaching at Ohio State University decades ago.
“I’m not used to or aware of that [sic],” replied Mace.
McCarthy’s ouster marks the first time in history that a speaker of the house has been given the boot during an internal rebellion.
The last time a motion to vacate received a vote was in 1910 against Speaker Joseph Cannon (R-Ill.). Only three such motions have ever been filed.
Notably, both Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise supported Kevin McCarthy during the rebellion. AP
Republicans plan to vote on the next speaker on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is led by Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC), whose powers are limited and not fully understood.
Since there had never been an acting speaker before, there was debate over McHenry’s ability to bring certain bills up for a vote on the House floor or complete other duties of the traditional speaker.
Meanwhile war has engulfed Israel, Ukraine’s aid is dwindling, and the country is heading towards a November 17 deadline for another government shutdown.
Kevin McCarthy said he would continue to serve in Congress and even opened the door to running for re-election as a member. AP
Nationally, many prominent Republicans have denounced the chaos in the lower house in Washington, DC.
“What I saw there in Washington for both sides was a lot of theatrics. There’s been a lot of work done, it’s been accomplished, but it’s not ultimately leading to anything,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told “Fox News Sunday.”
“[Americans] don’t really care who the speaker of the House is, they just want to see the job done,” said the 2024 Republican presidential candidate.
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