Gaetz Takes Aim: Republican US Rep Moves to Oust Speaker McCarthy

In a surprising move, far-right Republican Representative Matt Gaetz has introduced a “motion to vacate” to remove Republican Kevin McCarthy as the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Gaetz, who has been at odds with McCarthy for months, acknowledged that his effort might not succeed on the first try but expressed optimism that support could grow with repeated moves. Gaetz revealed that he would support House Majority Leader Steve Scalise as a replacement for McCarthy. McCarthy’s reliance on Democratic votes to pass a temporary funding extension has infuriated Gaetz and other far-right Republicans, who see it as a betrayal.

The majority Republicans control the House by a narrow margin of 221-212, meaning that as few as five defections could threaten McCarthy’s hold on power if all Democrats voted against him. It remains uncertain whether Democrats will vote against McCarthy or attempt to extract concessions to keep him in power. Democratic Representatives appear divided on the matter, with some expressing hesitancy in supporting McCarthy due to broken trust and disagreements on issues like the debt limit and impeachment probes. Democrats could demand that McCarthy honor his spending deal with President Joe Biden or hold votes on gun and immigration legislation. The White House has characterized House Republicans as unreliable and extreme during recent spending negotiations.

Gaetz’s motion to oust McCarthy adds a new element of chaos to an already tumultuous Congress. McCarthy ultimately secured his position as speaker in January after 15 rounds of voting and after agreeing to a rules change allowing any member to call for a vote to remove the speaker. No speaker has ever been removed from the position. Congress has until November 17 to pass spending legislation for the current fiscal year or approve another temporary measure to avoid a government shutdown. The outcome of Gaetz’s motion and the potential impact on McCarthy’s leadership will likely be closely watched in the coming weeks.

Source link