Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz suggested moving to force House votes on impeachment in the upcoming weeks, throwing a warning to Speaker McCarthy.
QUICK FACTS:
- U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz (R) hinted at upcoming moves to force House votes on impeaching Joe Biden, sending a warning to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
- The comments come as McCarthy faces pushback from moderate House Republicans against opening an impeachment inquiry into Biden over family foreign business dealings.
- Gaetz claimed that when the House is back in session next week, Republicans have to “seize the initiative.”
- “That means forcing votes on impeachment. And if Speaker McCarthy stands in our way, he may not have the job long,” Gaetz said.
REP. MATT GAETZ ON REPUBLICANS ELECTING HOUSE SPEAKER MCCARTHY:
“I worked very hard in January to develop a toolkit for House Republicans to use in a productive and positive way. I don’t believe we’ve used those tools as effectively as we should have,” Gaetz said.
BACKGROUND:
- In January 2023, Gaetz vowed to resign if McCarthy won his House speakership bid, but did not follow through on the promise.
- “If Democrats join up to elect a moderate Republican, I will resign,” Gaetz said at the time.
- Gaetz made the promise during an appearance on Fox News, where he was asked by host Laura Ingraham, “Are you going to be OK, congressman – would you be OK if there’s a deal struck with moderate Democrats that give Democrats co-control of the committees? You’re fine with that?”
- Rep. Gaetz responded, “Absolutely not. That will not happen.”
- He went on to explain his belief that Democrats will continue to support one of their own, saying, “These 212 Democrats are going to vote for Hakeem Jeffries every single time. He’s a historic candidate. They’re not going to cleave off.”
- Gaetz accused McCarthy of being “the masthead of the lobby core” and of using “lobbyists and the special interests to be able to dictate how political decisions are made, how policy decisions are made, and how leadership decisions are made.”
- Rep. Gaetz stated, “I resent the extent to which Kevin McCarthy utilizes the lobbyists and the special interests to be able to dictate how political decisions are made. How policy decisions are made, how leadership decisions are made. Kevin McCarthy has been in the leadership for 14 years. He’s sold shares of himself to special interests, to political action committees, and that’s why I don’t think he’s right.”
- McCarthy officially secured the position on January 7, 2023, elected on the 15th ballot with 216 votes, after four days of unsuccessful House votes.
