Rep. Matt Gaetz warned Tuesday that he would pursue a vote to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for not keeping to his word on agreements overspending and other policies made when the top House Republican was elected to lead the House in January.
Mr. Gaetz’s ire was directed at Mr. McCarthy, California Republican, for not calling votes on term limits and a balanced budget amendment, not releasing the full Jan. 6 tapes, and for not subpoenaing presidential son Hunter Biden.
“Mr. Speaker, you are out of compliance with the agreement that allowed you to assume this role,” said Mr. Gaetz, Florida Republican. “The path forward for the House of Representatives is to either bring you into immediate, total compliance, or remove you.”
The lawmaker’s comments came less than an hour after Mr. McCarthy announced that the House will open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. Last week, Mr. Gaetz warned that he would move to oust the speaker if he did not adhere to calls for an impeachment inquiry.
The Florida Republican accused Mr. McCarthy of serving as a valet for Mr. Biden’s agenda by not following through on his promises that won him the gavel, and for striking the debt-ceiling deal in May that paved the way for higher spending.
Mr. Gaetz also railed against an upcoming stopgap spending measure that would keep the government open beyond the end of the month. Mr. McCarthy is urging House Republicans to accept a short-term deal and fight for significant spending cuts in a longer-term agreement covering fiscal 2024, which starts on Oct.1.
“September 30 is rapidly approaching and you have not put us in a position to succeed,” Mr. Gaetz said. “There is no way to pass all the individual appropriations bills now, and it’s not like we didn’t know when September 30 was going to show up on the calendar.”
Mr. Gaetz, along with members of the House Freedom Caucus, has demanded that Mr. McCarthy produce only single-subject spending measures and avoid gargantuan omnibus spending packages. The 40-member conservative group has also given Mr. McCarthy a list of demands for their support of a short-term spending deal.
Mr. Gaetz asserted that it would be either single-subject spending measures or bust.
“Do these things or face a motion to vacate the chair,” Mr. Gaetz said.
Source:Washington Times
