Rep. Matt Gaetz expressed concerns on Saturday regarding the stability of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s speakership. Gaetz stated that McCarthy’s position is under threat due to his failure to secure the passage of twelve spending measures within his conference.
However, Gaetz has not yet announced a motion to remove McCarthy from the speakership.
“I would say it’s on some tenuous ground,” said Gaetz.
Gaetz further emphasized the need to build support for single-subject spending bills, stating that a 45-day stopgap spending bill would not adequately address the nation’s financial challenges. He highlighted the $33 trillion national debt and $2.2 trillion annual deficits as pressing issues.
McCarthy, on the other hand, expressed his willingness to take risks and pass a “clean” stopgap spending bill without border policy and spending cuts. He stated that he was willing to be the adult in the room to ensure the bill’s passage.
By voting for legislation under suspension, McCarthy can avoid time-consuming procedural votes.
McCarthy said he attempted to rally Republicans to pass a more conservative temporary stopgap measure, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
In response, Gaetz argued that delaying the passage of the twelve spending bills is not being the adult in the room.
“What would have been the adult in the room is putting up our spending bills in the spring and summer. Being the adult in the room would have meant not taking August off outside of Washington, D.C.,” Gaetz remarked.
Gaetz also accused McCarthy of making contradictory promises about the budget top line to various groups.
“He made one promise to House conservatives in January to secure the position. He made another promise to President Biden, and he made a third promise to House appropriators,” Gaetz stated.
Overall, the stability of Kevin McCarthy’s speakership is now being questioned due to his handling of the spending measures within his conference.
