Posted on 10/03/2023 4:50:36 AM PDT by FarCenter
Fresh off averting a government shutdown, House members on both sides of the aisle are being thrust into the second historic Speakership battle in a year — forcing Democrats to confront a big political decision.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Monday moved to force a vote on ousting Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), largely based on the handling of a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open on Saturday.
It marks just the third attempt in House history to remove a sitting Speaker — following an unsuccessful move against Speaker Joe Cannon (R-Ill.) in 1910 and one against Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in 2015 that was also unsuccessful, but contributed to his later resignation.
At least four House Republicans said they will support or are leaning in favor of the “motion to vacate.” In the slim House majority, just a handful Republican lawmakers could be enough to push the Speaker out — largely depending on how Democrats vote.
That means where Democrats stand is the wildcard that could determine whether McCarthy holds onto the gavel or becomes the first Speaker to be voted out.
...
Depending on absences, just five GOP votes in favor of booting McCarthy as Speaker could put the onus on Democrats.
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) sent a letter to House Democrats on Sunday informing members that, if a motion to vacate is offered against McCarthy, the group “will have a Caucus wide discussion on how to address the motion to best meet the needs of the American people.”
House Democrats are scheduled to huddle during their weekly caucus meeting Tuesday morning.
Democrats could allow McCarthy to remain in the Speakership without directly voting for him by voting “present” — or not at all.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has been coy about the caucus’ plans for a potential motion to vacate, brushing aside questions as hypotheticals and insisting that the group will “cross that bridge” when it gets there.
That's changed. They're stolen, and the GOP is in on it.
This was apparently Gaetz plan all along. He said if McCarthy stayed in power because of Democrats, then he was proven right about McCarthy.
Maybe since you think you’ve got it figured out, what is the plan if McCarthy was to be vacated? Who do they have that wants the job and can get the votes to replace him?
I don’t like the way McCarthy mishandled the appropriations process, but now that I see how Gaetz and his partners are acting like thugs with no plan I wonder if they purposely stall the process.
I just don’t think McCarthy deserves the post anymore.
Next!
“After McCarthY survives this they need to kick Gaetz out of the Republican Caucus and strip him of his committee assignments”
Wow, shoot the messenger, off with his head, what a concept!
Now finish off the other 400+ that spend money they don’t have.
We already have a King so who needs all those other do nothings.
The problem is until there are a significant number of MAGA-oriented Congressthings elected it’s an impossible job!
Oh so you must love mcCqrthy and side with Democrats then. Go away democrat lover!
(Oh wow - it’s so easy to read people minds and tell them what they think!!!)
And the the Dems will be the permanent majority.
They already are, they just have Republicans for their cover.
My father told me when I turned 21, “Don’t vote - it just encourages them”.
Duh.
Forget replace McCarthy. Replace the GOP with a pro-American party and let the chips fall where they may.
For all practical purposes, they already are.
McCarthy is already doing Democrats’ work. It will get worse. Why not just give them openly what the Republican bosses are slipping them stealthily?
Ha! That post is so typical of an argument with no substance.
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For all the new members of the Matt Gaetz fan club, I submit that he is nothing more than a crass opportunist and provocateur who gets his thrill from being in the spotlight, when in fact he has no end game in sight for the current logjam. Mccarthy has a very narrow control of one house of Congress. Schumer has lock step control of the Senate and Biden is Biden. McCarthy has the unenviable task of trying to thread the needle to wring some concessions out of the socialist status quo. He can't even do that when Gaetz is snapping at his heels like a cranky Chihuahua. For those who envision Gaetz as a principled, unwavering conservative, never forget that when he had to choose a candidate for the 2016 GOP nomination, he put his full support behind that staunch conservative - Jeb Bush. He tweeted at the time “@JebBush was an outstanding conservative governor, I like action, not just talk.”
Old Retired Army Guy, you are part of the swamp.
pkajj, you are part of the swamp.
I’m repeating this post to all attackers of Gaetz. Really, really, McCarthy doing ANYTHING for the conservative cause?
“pkajj, you are part of the swamp”
If Gaetz had his way, we’d currently be in the second term of staunch conservative President Jeb Bush!
Understood that a conviction in the Senate is a long shot but if Biden is guilty and democrats defend him from Justice, then the American public needs to see that.
If the shoe was on the other foot, democrats would be pounding this every day.
"It already is in democrats hands but republicans are getting the blame for everything because of democrat assistant McCarthy."
So-called "Republican" control of the House is politically correct smoke and mirrors imo. (Was Trump back-stabbed again by supporting RINO McCarthy as Speaker?)
In other words, with a Democratic Speaker, Gaetz may be smartly trying to give voters a reality check concerning corrupt uniparty as we go into an election year imo.
The next major political event in US is not when Democratic and Republican Trump-supporters reelect Trump for the second time, but when patriots primary ALL incumbent state and federal lawmakers and executives, except for MTG, Gaetz (and others?) in 2024.
After all, lawmakers and executives continue to show that they do not have the patriotism and leadership skills necessary to find legislative support for effective remedies for unconstitutional government policies.
Trump can endorse true patriots from lists that patriots who are up to speed on the federal government's constitutionally limited powers give him.
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