House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told party members in a closed-door conference meeting Thursday that he was unperturbed by threats of a motion to vacate his position as House speaker.

Those threats were made by Rep. Matt Gaetz, Florida Republican, this week. Since Mr. Gaetz called the speaker “out of compliance” for pushing a stopgap spending measure to prevent a government shutdown, the drama between the two lawmakers has reached a new level. 

“If you think you scare me because you want to file a motion to vacate, move the f—-ing motion,” Mr. McCarthy, California Republican, told lawmakers during the meeting. 

Mr. Gaetz regularly has promised to bring a motion to vacate if Mr. McCarthy does not adhere to the deal that gave him the gavel, including putting terms limits and a budget amendment up for a vote, for not releasing the unadulterated Jan. 6 tapes and for not subpoenaing presidential son Hunter Biden. 

The speaker’s move to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden was not enough to sate Mr. Gaetz. 

“Sounds like [Speaker McCarthy] is having a total normal one — not rattled at all,” Mr. Gaetz said on X Thursday. “Truth is Kevin controls his own fate.”

Mr. McCarthy said Mr. Gaetz’s main issue with him was not about not sticking with his word, but rather an ethics complaint against the Florida lawmaker. He said the Florida congressman had asked for help with the complaint and added he would not “interject into an independent committee like ethics.” 

Mr. Gaetz balked at the notion, calling Mr. McCarthy a “sad, pathetic man.”  

Rep. Brian Mast, another Florida Republican, said after the meeting that Mr. McCarthy “doesn’t live in fear of” the motion to vacate. 

“If somebody wants to file a motion to vacate, file … to vacate and that’s it, and stop holding up everybody’s work,” Mr. Mast told reporters. “Stop holding it over people’s head like it’s this noose that you’re going to try to get somebody to walk into.”

• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washigtontimes.com.