It is on! Matt Gaetz formally makes a motion to remove Kevin McCarthy from the speaker’s seat
It is on! Matt Gaetz formally makes a motion to remove Kevin McCarthy from the speaker’s seat
- Gaetz spoke in the House of Representatives on Monday where he accused McCarthy of a “secret side deal” to provide more funding to Ukraine
- Asked whether he would refuse a deal with Democrats to avoid being impeached, McCarthy sidestepped: “I think this is about the institution. I think it’s too important’
Rep. Matt Gaetz made a motion to clear the House. This will lead to a vote that could oust Chairman Kevin McCarthy within the next two days.
After threatening to do so for weeks, the Florida Republican submitted his motion in the House of Representatives on Monday evening.
GOP leadership must now vote within the next 48 hours.
McCarthy had a brief response to Gaetz’s measure: “Bring it on,” he wrote on X.
The House has not faced a motion to evict from then-Speaker Joe Cannon since 1910. Former Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., drafted one for then-Speaker John Boehner, but he never filed it and Boehner resigned.
When asked who he might support as speaker, Gaetz mentioned Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who is currently battling blood cancer.
When asked directly whether he would refuse a deal with Democrats to avoid being impeached, McCarthy sidestepped: “I think this is about the institution. I think it’s too important.’
Gaetz spoke in the House of Representatives on Monday, where he accused McCarthy of a “secret side deal” to provide Ukraine with more funding and teased that the motion to evacuate the country could come “later this week.”
McCarthy has long said Gaetz is pursuing a personal vendetta against him, as the Ethics Commission is currently investigating Gaetz on several allegations, including illegal drug use, sexual misconduct and misuse of campaign funds.
“Any time someone has an ethics complaint and they don’t deal with it in the way they want… I think Nancy Pelosi has said this is not good for the House.”
The Florida Republican predicted that McCarthy would make a deal with Democrats, with enough people voting against the motion to offset any Republican opponents.
“One thing I’m at peace with is that if we’re standing here in a week, I won’t own Kevin McCarthy anymore. He won’t be mine. If Democrats want to adopt him, they can adopt him,” Gaetz said after introducing the motion.
In his comments to the press, the speaker seemed confident that he would survive such a motion. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said he has not yet spoken to McCarthy this week and did not say whether Democrats would help the speaker.
Gaetz previously said a motion to evict would be “shot down, hunter” if McCarthy introduced a continuing resolution on the House floor.
That’s exactly what happened this weekend: the speaker realized that there would be no consensus to pass a resolution that would be pursued solely by Republicans and to draft a bipartisan resolution that would come at the eleventh hour are passed to prevent a government shutdown.
McCarthy hit back at Gaetz on Monday morning, saying he was concerned about reports that he wants to subpoena Democrats
Matt Gaetz has again threatened to try to oust Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House of Representatives, but said he would wait until later this week.
The deal didn’t include money for Ukraine, but now Gaetz is working on a “secret side deal” that he accuses McCarthy of cutting with President Biden.
McCarthy denied the side deal.
“I was asked to ensure that the (weapons) portability… that if the continuing resolution doesn’t do that, we will resolve that. It’s something we do all the time.’
He hinted that Ukrainian aid could be used as leverage to obtain concessions on border security.
‘I have always been in favor of arming Ukraine, that is not sending money to Ukraine, that is arming Ukraine with the weapons it needs to defend. But I think with the number of Americans dying, it’s really important that we get the border done.”
It is expected that between 20 and 30 Republicans could vote to impeach the chairman.
Reps. Chip Roy and Byron Donalds, both members of the right-wing Freedom Caucus that often clashes with McCarthy, both said now is not the time for the motion.
Roy said on the radio with Sean Hannity that it’s only the “third quarter.” “I think the speaker deserves the opportunity to complete this process,” Roy added, referring to the effort to pass spending bills.
Donalds called the motion to remove the threat a “major distraction.”
“I understand where Matt is, but I just think this is the wrong fight at the wrong time.”