Pelosi: Gaetz holds no power in the House.
Engaging Paraphrase:
Representative Nancy Pelosi from California had some strong words for her colleague, Representative Matt Gaetz from Florida. She made it clear that Gaetz holds no power in the House of Representatives after he announced his plans to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his leadership position.
Pelosi, who was the previous speaker before McCarthy, was asked about Gaetz’s intentions on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Gaetz had stated that he would bring a motion to vacate McCarthy’s position after the House voted 335-91 in favor of a short-term spending bill with the support of Democrats.
Pelosi responded to Gaetz’s plans by saying, “You’re wasting your time on that guy because he has no sway in the House of Representatives, except to get on TV and raise money on the internet,” during her interview with anchor Jake Tapper.
Earlier in the interview, Gaetz had accused McCarthy of breaking an “agreement” made in January that allowed him to become speaker. Gaetz also criticized McCarthy for a supposed “side deal” with Democrats regarding Ukraine aid.
Despite the continuing resolution not including funds for Ukraine, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries from New York expects McCarthy to bring a bill to support Ukraine to the House floor for a vote. Jeffries believes McCarthy is committed to defeating Vladimir Putin, Russia, and authoritarianism.
According to the House rules package, only one member is needed to trigger the process that could lead to a no-confidence vote in the speaker. If a simple majority is achieved, McCarthy could be ousted with the support of disaffected Republicans and Democrats.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York stated that she would vote to remove McCarthy as speaker.
Gaetz confidently claimed that the only way McCarthy would remain speaker is if Democrats come to his rescue.
When asked about her advice to Democrats regarding a no-confidence vote, Pelosi simply said, “Follow the leader,” referring to Jeffries.
The Democrat-led Senate approved the continuing resolution, and President Joe Biden signed it before the midnight deadline to avoid a government shutdown. This temporary measure allows lawmakers more time to reach an agreement on federal government spending for the new fiscal year.
McCarthy celebrated the passage of the continuing resolution, emphasizing that it funds the military, provides emergency relief, and keeps the government open while Congress resumes its regular order.