Newt Gingrich: Expelling Rep. Matt Gaetz from House GOP Conference is ‘rational’.
Former House Speaker Calls for Action Against Rep. Gaetz
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has suggested that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) should face consequences for his ongoing feud with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
The former Georgia congressman expressed his thoughts on Twitter on Sunday, proposing that while fully expelling Gaetz from the House may be difficult, blocking his participation in the party conference and committees would be a more “rational response.”
“The effort to expel Matt Gaetz for being a destructive, irresponsible anti-Republican may be a step too far. Expulsion from the House requires a two-thirds vote,” Gingrich wrote.
“However, expelling him from the House Republican Conference and eliminating all his committee assignments and resources, except those entitled to an individual member, would be a rational response to his suicidal efforts to cripple the House GOP,” Gingrich added.
Gingrich also raised the question of whether Gaetz is secretly working for the Democratic Party.
“Is Gaetz secretly an agent for the Democratic Party? No one else is doing as much to undermine, weaken, and cripple the House GOP,” he wrote.
Under current rules, it takes a two-thirds vote of the entire membership to expel a member from the House Republican Conference.
Regarding committee assignments, McCarthy has the authority to remove Gaetz from select and conference committees. To remove a member from a standing committee, such as the House Judiciary Committee, a resolution of removal must be passed by the House.
Gaetz Holds His Ground
Gingrich’s comments come as Gaetz renews his threat to oust McCarthy from his leadership position.
In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Gaetz stated that he will file a motion for McCarthy’s removal sometime this week.
“We need to rip off the Band-Aid. We need to move on with new leadership that can be trustworthy,” Gaetz said, following the last-minute passage of a short-term funding bill to keep the federal government open.
McCarthy pushed the funding bill through the House with the help of Democrats, drawing more support from Democrats than Republicans. The bill ultimately cleared the lower chamber with a 335–91 vote on Saturday afternoon.
It was then approved by the Senate with an 88–9 margin and signed into law by President Joe Biden about three hours before a midnight deadline.
The compromise bill did not include any new aid for Ukraine. However, President Biden on Sunday stated that he expects McCarthy to “keep his commitment to secure the passage and support needed to help Ukraine,” prompting Gaetz to accuse the speaker of making a secret deal to pass money for the embattled country.
“Members of the Republican Party might vote differently on a motion to vacate if they heard what the speaker had to share with us about his secret side deal with Joe Biden on Ukraine. I’ll be listening. Stay tuned,” Gaetz said Monday during a speech on the House floor.
McCarthy Responds
In response to the accusation, McCarthy denied any secret deal with President Biden on funding Ukraine.
“There’s no side deal. So I don’t know who’s bringing that up,” he told reporters at the Capitol. “There is no side deal on Ukraine.”
According to McCarthy, the commitment President Biden referred to is ensuring that the money allocated for Ukraine last year continues to flow during the 45-day period when the federal government will run on temporary funds.
“I said in some way, if the continuing resolution doesn’t do that, we’ll fix that,” he said. “It’s something we do all the time.”
McCarthy also dismissed Gaetz’s effort to oust him, stating that he will do what he believes is best for the American public.
Unlike the continuing resolution, which requires a two-thirds supermajority to pass, a motion to vacate the speaker only needs a simple majority. If Gaetz’s motion comes to the floor for a vote, it would need 218 votes to pass, the same number of votes McCarthy needed to become the speaker.
How has Gaetz’s ongoing feud with McCarthy highlighted the divide within the Republican Party?
Ed both houses of Congress and was signed into law by President Biden. Gaetz criticized McCarthy for relying on Democratic support and accused him of not representing the values of the Republican Party.
Gaetz’s ongoing feud with McCarthy has escalated in recent weeks, with Gaetz accusing McCarthy of being weak and ineffective as a leader. Gaetz has also criticized McCarthy for not doing enough to support former President Donald Trump and his policies.
The tension between Gaetz and McCarthy highlights the larger divide within the Republican Party between establishment Republicans and the more conservative, Trump-aligned faction. Gaetz is a vocal supporter of Trump and has positioned himself as a fierce defender of Trump’s legacy.
As the former House Speaker, Gingrich’s comments carry weight within the Republican Party. His suggestion that Gaetz should face consequences for his actions reflects the growing frustration among some Republicans with Gaetz’s behavior.
However, it remains to be seen whether McCarthy or other Republican leaders will take any action against Gaetz. The two-thirds vote required for expulsion from the House is a high threshold to meet, and it is unclear if there is enough support within the party to take such a drastic step.
In the meantime, Gaetz continues to hold his ground and has shown no signs of backing down. His threat to file a motion for McCarthy’s removal underscores his determination to challenge the party leadership and push for a more Trump-centric agenda.
The outcome of this ongoing feud between Gaetz and McCarthy will have implications not only for the Republican Party but also for the broader political landscape. It will reveal the extent of Trump’s influence within the party and may shape the direction of the GOP moving forward.
As the controversy surrounding Gaetz unfolds, it is clear that the divisions within the Republican
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