According to The Washington Post, Rep.Matt Gaetz's colleagues in the House GOP conference have become so frustrated with him that they compelled him to stand on the Democratic side of the chamber.
Gaetz stood with Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday as he called for Rep. Kevin McCarthy to be removed as House speaker. Gaetz has been vocal about his disdain for McCarthy and had been threatening to trigger a vote to have him removed as speaker, despite pleas from his Republican colleagues to refrain from doing so.
"I'd love to have him out of the conference," said Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon. "He shouldn't be in the Republican Party." Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin emphasized that he prioritizes the best interests of the United States and his constituents over personal feelings, stating that "clearly, Matt Gaetz can't do that." California Rep. Mike Garcia was more direct, describing Gaetz as a "Republican running with scissors."
The breaking point for Gaetz seemingly occurred when McCarthy collaborated with Democrats to pass a temporary spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. The following morning, Gaetz announced on ABC's "This Week" that he would file a motion to vacate the office of the speaker. Gaetz confidently stated, "I have enough Republicans where at this point next week, one of two things will happen: Kevin McCarthy won't be the speaker of the House or he'll be the speaker of the House working at the pleasure of the Democrats."
Gaetz's move is historic, as it marks the first time in over a century that a US lawmaker has formally moved to oust the speaker of the House. On Tuesday, McCarthy became the first speaker to be removed in the middle of a congressional term.
The final vote was 216-210, with eight Republicans joining 208 Democrats in favor of vacating the office of the speaker. In the interim, North Carolina Rep. Patrick Henry is serving as speaker pro tempore until a new speaker is formally elected.
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