Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a chief tormentor of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, effectively said on the House floor Tuesday evening that he was on the brink of filing a motion to vacate to try to oust the California Republican from the speaker’s chair. Here’s what Gaetz said:
The motion to vacate was raised at the House Freedom Caucus’s weekly meeting, as well.
McCarthy told reporters once again on Tuesday night that he wasn’t worried about Gaetz:
The best case for McCarthy here is that if Gaetz files a motion to vacate, some Democrats would vote with a strong majority of Republicans to table it. The question for McCarthy would then be what does he have to do in return.
And if McCarthy remains speaker with the help of Democrats, how would he be able to manage the House Republican Conference?
