Speaker Kevin McCarthy, acknowledging his leadership is under threat, is promising even if his own Republicans succeed in taking his gavel he will not leave Congress. Former GOP Speaker John Boehner left the House after resigning his Speakership amid Republican infighting.
Late Tuesday morning legislation that would keep the government open for 30 days was scrapped amid what Fox News described as Speaker McCarthy being “in a bind as GOP factions, and factions within factions, [are] at loggerheads.”
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is widely seen as Speaker McCarthy’s top critic, actively working to promote and highlight dissent and even calling McCarthy “out of compliance” with far-right GOP demands.
The increasing divide among House Republicans, despite having the majority, is a battle between those including McCarthy who say they want to avoid the increasingly likely October 1 shutdown of the federal government, and others, like U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), who are not only promising a government shutdown, but demanding one.
House Republicans claim they want to shut down the government to stop what they claim is excessive federal government spending, but as The New York Times reported, shutdowns are expensive and actually cost the American taxpayers even more money.
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), has been pushing for a shutdown since last summer – before the House flipped to Republicans, saying as soon as they take control they should shut down the government “on day one” and “actually fight.”
Some Democrats are expressing outrage over House Republicans’ priorities.
“James Comer is going to waste all of our time on yet another Hunter Biden hearing just 2 days before the government is expected to shut down,” said U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) on Tuesday, referring to the Oversight Chairman. “MAGA Republicans are saying very clearly they don’t care if the economy gets wrecked as long as Donald Trump is happy.”
Last week Congressman Gaetz on the House floor threatened to force a vote to remove McCarthy as Speaker, while claiming McCarthy is working with Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and President Joe Biden:
On Tuesday Speaker McCarthy promised CNN’s Manu Raju, “I’m not quitting.”
READ MORE: House Republicans Hurl Closer to Shutdown as Bill to Keep Government Open Gets Scrapped: Report
“Speaker McCarthy says he’s not going to leave if Gaetz’s vote to oust succeeds,” Raju reported. “And he denied he’s avoiding working w Dems on the stop-gap bill to keep government open to save his speakership. Says he’s pushing for most conservative outcome. ‘I’m not quitting,’ he told me.”
Watch the video of Congressman Gaetz above or at this link.