House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) will face a challenge to his own leadership from his own party this week when Congress returns after averting a government shutdown.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.) told CNN on Sunday he will present a motion to vacate the speakership, a procedure to force a vote in the chamber on whether to remove McCarthy.
“I do intend to file a motion to vacate against Speaker McCarthy this week,” he told CNN’s State of the Union. “I think we need to rip off the bandaid.”
McCarthy told CBS’ Face the Nation that he believes he will survive, calling Gaetz’ effort personal. “So be it. Bring it on. Let’s get over with it, and let’s start governing,” McCarthy said.
Gaetz and some other Republicans are angry that McCarthy did a last minute switch on Saturday after several days of trying to push an extension to government funding through his own caucus. After several failed attempts and with Saturday’s shutdown deadline looming, McCarthy pivoted to a continuing resolution that garnered enough Democratic support to push it over the goal line.
President Joe Biden signed a bill late Saturday evening, keeping the government open and giving Congress 45 more days to agree to a longer term solution. On Sunday, Biden spoke from the White House, urging House Republicans to keep their commitment on Ukraine funding, which wasn’t in Saturday’s hastily arranged funding extension.
“I fully expect the Speaker to keep his commitment to secure passage and support needed to help Ukraine as they defend themselves against aggression and brutality,” he said.
Gaetz told CNN that McCarthy turned his back on his own party. “Speaker McCarthy made an agreement with House conservatives in January and since then he’s been in brazen, repeated material breach of that agreement,” Gaetz said, referring to agreements McCarthy cut with the hard-liner Republicans earlier this year to win the speakership on the 15th ballot.
But Gaetz’s move would require more votes than he may have now to succeed, including possibly some Democrats. It wasn’t clear whether House Democrats would play along. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) told CNN she doesn’t intend to vote for a Republican Speaker. “It’s not up to Democrats to save Republicans, from themselves, especially.”
And not all Republicans seem to be on board with the plan. Rep. Mike Lawler (R., N.Y.) told ABC’s This Week that Gaetz’s effort was “delusional thinking.”
Gaetz told the news shows Sunday morning that he believes Democrats will “bail out” McCarthy. “If they want to keep him, then he belongs to them,” Gaetz told ABC’s.
Write to Liz Moyer at [email protected]
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