Gaetz Moves To Formally Remove McCarthy As Speaker

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) on Monday moved to force a vote to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) after McCarthy enlisted Democrats to pass a Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded through mid-November, and cut a secret side-deal for Ukraine funding.

Wow.@SpeakerMcCarthy made a side Ukraine deal with Democrats and didn’t tell House Republicans until after his Continuing Resolution passed.

More deceit. https://t.co/LC91laLyTp

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) October 1, 2023

A vote on the motion will now be brought up within two legislative days, however the chamber can first use legislative maneuvering to kill or delay it, such as voting to table the resolution.

MATT GAETZ FILES MOTION TO VACATE AGAINST MCCARTHY pic.twitter.com/T9DgsMQ02w

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 2, 2023

Gaetz says he’ll try to oust McCarthy repeatedly, saying “Real chaos is when the American people have to go through the austerity that is coming.“

Gaetz still plans to try to oust McCarthy from speakership this week. Says he’s ready to do it over and over again. Argues it’s not him throwing House in chaos. “Real chaos is when the American people have to go through the austerity that is coming.”

Says he’s spoken to Trump. pic.twitter.com/1mLMrqcw0O

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 2, 2023

On Sunday, Gaetz appeared on ABC‘s “This Week” to say that McCarthy will get his wish, and that he was going to file the motion this week.

.@SpeakerMcCarthy is going to get his wish. I’m going to file a motion to vacate against him this week.

If at this time next week Kevin McCarthy is still Speaker of the House, it will be because the Democrats bailed him out. He can be their Speaker, not mine. pic.twitter.com/ITlcwynY39

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) October 1, 2023

In a Monday op-ed, Gaetz wrote:

We have to stop the fiscal insanity in Washington and get our spending under control. I’m not voting for a continuing resolution that funds Jack Smith’s election interference, dangerous chaos on the southern border, and money for the endless war in Ukraine.

Just think about what it means for Congress to govern by Continuing Resolution. Every time we vote for a continuing resolution, we make no changes in policy or spending. It’s a vote to continue the status quo. If that’s all Congress is going to do, just replace us with AI bots, because we aren’t doing anything. The hearings are fun, but it’s the budgets where real policy changes are made.

Of course, there’s no Republican in the House who both wants the job and could get the votes, after Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said he’s out.