The House has been thrown into a standstill, unable to conduct legislative business until lawmakers elect a new speaker after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted from the top position on Tuesday afternoon.
McCarthy was removed in a 216-210 vote after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed a motion to vacate over allegations the former speaker crafted a “secret deal” with Democrats to advance Ukraine funding in exchange for support on a continuing resolution passed over the weekend to avert a government shutdown. The successful ouster was lauded as a win by Gaetz, but the move has angered several of his rank-and-file colleagues, with some even going so far as to consider removing him from the House altogether.
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“I’d love to have him out of the conference,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said on Tuesday. “He shouldn’t be in the Republican Party.”
Other centrist Republicans have reiterated similar sentiments, with Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) telling reporters on Wednesday he would support expelling Gaetz from the GOP conference.
“I think Matt Gaetz is a disgraceful human being,” Lawler said, “and I think he has certainly alienated lots of people left and right.”
House Democrats held a heavy hand in the vote, with all members of the conference voting against the former speaker after saying they weren’t interested in helping Republicans sort out their intraparty tensions. GOP lawmakers chastised Gaetz for advancing the vote with Democratic support, claiming the Florida Republican “got schooled” by far-left Democrats who wanted to oust McCarthy.
“He was totally manipulated into doing this,” said Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), a close ally of McCarthy. “I mean, I can’t believe he’s that stupid to be manipulated by [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] and others to create this outcome.”
House Republicans are expected to hold a candidate forum on Tuesday evening, with the earliest possible vote being held on the following Wednesday. But until a speaker is elected, no legislative business can be conducted, complicating lawmakers’ tight timeline to advance their appropriations bills before the Nov. 17 deadline.
“If there is a shutdown in November, that is 100% attributable to Matt Gaetz and the other seven boneheads who forced this,” Graves said.
McCarthy has argued his ouster was done for personal reasons, citing a House Ethics investigation into Gaetz as a reason why the Florida Republican pushed so heavily for his removal.
“You all know Matt Gaetz,” McCarthy told reporters in his farewell address. “You know it was personal.”
Gaetz is currently under investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct and misuse of funds, an investigation that has been underway for roughly two years — before Republicans took control of the House and McCarthy was elected speaker.
However, Gaetz has suggested the investigation was part of a smear campaign lobbied against him by McCarthy and his allies.
“I am the most investigated man in the United States Congress,” Gaetz said on Monday after announcing his motion to vacate. “It seems that the Ethics Committee’s interest in me waxes and wanes based on my relationship with the speaker.”
The Ethics Committee is expected to publish a report about its findings, although it remains unclear what details it may include or when it could be released. However, if the report contains damning evidence, House Republicans are likely to use the findings in an effort to expel Gaetz.
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Gaetz, for his part, said he’s unafraid of any threat.
“I’m built for the battle,” Gaetz said on Tuesday. “I’ve faced down tougher than these folks, and I’ll do it again.”