UNITED STATES: Representative Matt Gaetz, a far-right Republican, attempted to remove fellow Republican Kevin McCarthy from his position as Speaker of the US House of Representatives on Monday.
Gaetz, who has been at odds with McCarthy for months, filed a “motion to vacate,” which would have required a vote to remove McCarthy from office.
Gaetz, after his House floor move, held an impromptu press conference where he acknowledged that his effort might not succeed, at least not initially.
Gaetz stated, “I think that’s the likely outcome.” Although Gaetz hinted at the possibility of McCarthy being dismissed repeatedly, he also predicted that support for McCarthy’s removal would increase and that the first vote to remove McCarthy would be the floor and not the ceiling.”
When questioned who he would back to succeed McCarthy, Gaetz replied, “I think very highly of Steve Scalise. I would vote for Steve Scalise, as well as many other Republicans.”
Scalise currently holds the position of House Majority Leader, which is the second-highest role in the chamber.
Republicans maintain control of the chamber with a slim majority of 221-212. If just five Republicans were to defect and join Democrats in their votes, it could jeopardize McCarthy’s position as the leader.
The discontent among far-right Republicans, including Gaetz, stems from McCarthy’s reliance on Democratic votes to pass a temporary funding extension last Saturday, preventing a partial government shutdown.
About 20 Republicans, including Gaetz, had repeatedly blocked other legislation, pushing McCarthy to this point.
McCarthy has characterized Gaetz’s leadership challenge as disruptive and expressed confidence in his ability to withstand it, stating, “Bring it on.”
Gaetz was among over a dozen far-right Republicans who consistently voted against McCarthy’s bid for the position of Speaker back in January. McCarthy eventually secured the position after 15 rounds of voting.
As part of the agreement to secure his election as Speaker in January, McCarthy agreed to a rule change that permits any individual member to initiate a vote to remove the Speaker, thereby paving the way for Gaetz’s recent action.
No Speaker of the House of Representatives has ever been ousted from the second-to-last position in the presidential succession, after the vice president.
It remains uncertain whether Democrats will vote against McCarthy, as they did back in January, or if they will seek concessions in exchange for their support to keep him as Speaker.
Late on Monday, a number of House Democrats indicated that they would wait for guidance from their party leader, Hakeem Jeffries.
Rep. Ann Kuster, chair of the New Democrat Coalition, said supporting McCarthy for Speaker is a challenge due to trust issues, his debt limit reversal with President Biden, and his initiation of an impeachment investigation without substantial evidence.
Democrats are also angry that, despite his need for their support, he gave them little time to examine the interim budget package before Saturday’s vote.
They could demand that McCarthy adhere to his spending agreement with Biden, abandon the impeachment inquiry, or schedule votes on gun control and immigration legislation.
Jeffries has not disclosed whether his caucus would collaborate with right-wing Republicans to oust McCarthy or if Democrats might back him in exchange for political or legislative concessions.
The White House has characterized Republicans as being unpredictable and taking extreme positions during the spending debate.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre remarked, “What we’re seeing with House Republicans is pure chaos.”
The Saturday-passed stopgap bill lacked $6 billion in Ukraine aid, favored by Democrats and some Senate Republicans but opposed by House Republicans like Gaetz.
The approval of this funding remains uncertain in Congress.
During proceedings on the House floor, Gaetz accused McCarthy of having a concealed arrangement with Democrats to pass Ukraine aid.
McCarthy stated that there was no hidden plan and that the Biden administration should provide further information on how the funds will be used.
He said, “Our members have a lot of questions, especially on the accountability provisions of what we want to see with the money that gets sent.”
The House and Senate must either enact spending legislation for the current fiscal year or adopt an additional temporary funding measure by November 17 to prevent a government shutdown.
Also Read: Republicans Reject Own Funding Bill, U.S. Government Shutdown Nears Certainty
