Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida is so upset with Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy for his cooperation with Democrats on passing a temporary spending measure to keep the government from shutting down that he is teaming up with unlikely suspects to try and oust the speaker.
Gaetz’s fury runs so deep, that he has already picked up progressive Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) of New York as an ally. Gaetz reportedly does not yet have a replacement to support in McCarthy’s absence, simply that there will be one “named later.”
Gaetz is warning that McCarthy “will be serving at the pleasure of the Democrats. He will be working for the Democrats.” In order to remove McCarthy, Gaetz would need 218 votes of support, which is highly unlikely. National Review reveals why:
Twenty-one Republicans voted against McCarthy as speaker on the first eleven ballots this year, including Gaetz. Assuming he could unite those 21, he would need 197 of the 212 House Democrats to vote to remove McCarthy as speaker — more than 92 percent — and roll the dice on whomever came next. While AOC is on board, most House Democrats are reportedly not all that interested in helping Gaetz remove McCarthy as speaker. Better the devil you know than the one you don’t.
Gaetz, and many of those who side with Gaetz against McCarthy have the benefit of being from heavily partisan districts. That means “these guys can take just about any stance they want” writes National Review. “And as long as they win their primary, they are nearly guaranteed to win reelection. In the districts of Gaetz and some of his allies, the Democratic Party might as well not exist.”