Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said in an interview Monday that she has not yet decided on how she would vote on a motion to vacate — a procedural vote that would seek to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from his position.
“I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do,” Mace said on “The View” when asked about how she’d vote.
Mace, a moderate Republican, said she understands the frustrations of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who has threatened to bring the motion against McCarthy, and that the Speaker made promises to her he has not kept.
“I empathize with Matt Gaetz over his frustration,” Mace said. “My frustration is a little bit different, but I was made promises by the Speaker that have not been kept. I’ve been a strong fighter for women’s rights since overturning Roe v. Wade — actually, since before then — I’ve negotiated my own deals, my own promises, on women’s issues, on gun violence, on balancing the budget. None of those promises have been kept.”
“I’m frustrated equally but for different, different, very different reasons,” she said.
Mace, who describes herself as anti-abortion, has frequently called on the Republican Party to take more action on protecting women in the battles over abortion.
“It’s the No. 2 issue in swing districts and swing seats. And if you want to win the White House, if you want to keep the majority in the House, and you want to flip the Senate, then we’ve got to be a lot smarter in how we talk about women and how we show them that we care,” Mace said in an interview this summer.
Mace said Monday that she thinks there are about a dozen Republicans who would vote for a motion to vacate. But she predicted McCarthy’s job ultimately will be saved by Democratic votes.
Democrats have not said how they would vote on such a motion.
“I think there are about a dozen or so Republicans that will support the motion to vacate. It’s hard to say what’s going to happen. I think McCarthy will get the votes if Democrats support him,” Mace said Monday, later adding, “I think there any number of people that could replace him, I don’t think it actually happens though. I think he’s going to have the votes with Democrats’ support.”