House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had an extremely tough time garnering the support he needed for the top congressional leadership spot in the first place, and now it looks as though his position could be under threat.
According to the Daily Caller, Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL) is not happy with the speaker's latest moves, and went as far as threatening McCarthy's leadership position should he refuse to comply with a list of demands.
The dust-up was over upcoming spending bills, and Gaetz even admitted during a recent speech on the House floor to the speaker that as elected representatives, they both must "be better" for their constituents and for America.
"Mr. Speaker, we told you how to use the power of the purse. Individual, single subject spending bills, that would allow us to have specific review programmatic analysis that would allow us to zero out the salaries of the bureaucrats who have broken bad, targeted President Trump or cut sweetheart deals. You have not put us in a position to succeed. There is no way to pass all the individual appropriations bills now," Gaetz said.
He added, "And it’s not like we didn’t know when September 30 was going to show up on the calendar. I must be better. You must be better. And this house must be better for it is the last best hope for 10s of millions of Republicans."
Rep. Gaetz threatens to remove Speaker McCarthy for being Out of Compliance to the Agreement which made him House Speaker.
This was the Agreement:
• Jeffersonian Motion to vacate the chair. This allows a SINGLE PERSON to make the motion to remove the speaker if he goes back on… pic.twitter.com/bISDPqgl3j— Gitmo (Health is a Wealth) (@Gitmo99) September 13, 2023
Gaetz demanded McCarthy take more serious and meaningful action against what he described -- as do many others -- the "weaponized" U.S. government. He also reiterated the call for President Joe Biden's impeachment.
"We demand real oversight against this weaponized government. Just look at the bribery. If 10s of millions of dollars flowing from foreign corrupt people into the bank accounts of the Biden family wasn’t enough for actual impeachment, why were we even looking?
The Florida Republican added, "Joe Biden deserves impeachment for converting the vice presidency into an ATM machine for virtually his entire family. We all see it. We all know it."
Gaetz also took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to voice his concerns.
"Impeachment is not some get-out-of-jail-free card for Kevin McCarthy on the motion to vacate. This is about the Biden administration’s policy choices that the American people abhor. A vote for a continuing resolution is a vote for continuing election interference from Jack Smith, the Green New Deal, and inflationary spending," Gaetz wrote.
Impeachment is not some get-out-of-jail-free card for Kevin McCarthy on the motion to vacate.
This is about the Biden administration’s policy choices that the American people abhor.
A vote for a continuing resolution is a vote for continuing election interference from Jack… pic.twitter.com/YoHJzOa9H5
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) September 14, 2023
Gaetz wants McCarthy to "move faster" on opening an impeachment inquiry against President Biden, saying that the speaker's endorsement of the idea was a "baby step."
Only time will tell if the speaker, who seems to struggle to maintain his top House role, will find a way to make Gaetz and others with concerns happy.
