Eight Republican representatives, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), on Tuesday successfully carried a motion to vacate, meaning Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is no longer speaker of the House. Several of the representatives have spoken out to explain why they ousted McCarthy.
There was a running theme in the comments criticizing McCarthy, who cut deals on spending with Democrats despite the fact that America cannot afford continued high spending, for his financial irresponsibility.
Gaetz posted multiple videos of himself on X (Twitter), including a fiery denunciation of the corruption of our government. “I’ll make this argument at any desk in this building.…I’ll make it on every street corner in this country, that Washington must change,” he said.
“Mr. Speaker, high inflation is on the verge of bankrupting American families,” he continued. “Our economy is breaking in half…inflation is stealing more than $700 a month from working Americans, nearly $9,000 a year.”
Gaetz insisted that McCarthy “failed to take a stand where it matters. So if he won’t, I will.” Gaetz said his fight was about helping working Americans who can’t afford the high cost of living.
Washington must change. We must put the House of Representatives on a better course.@SpeakerMcCarthy has failed to take a stand where it matters. So if he won’t, I will.#MotionToVacate pic.twitter.com/hTW2e6bxtW
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) October 3, 2023
After the successful vote, Gaetz cited the global “de-dollarization” push that could “crush” Americans as reason for his move against McCarthy. “I’m afraid of $33 trillion in debt crushing the working people in my district,” he said, calling McCarthy’s brief tenure a “failed speakership.”
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) tweeted his opinion before the vote happened. “Speaker McCarthy has failed to demonstrate himself as an effective leader who will change the status quo,” he said. “He has gone against many of the promises he made in January and can no longer be trusted at the helm.” Biggs also posted a clip of himself on Steve Bannon’s “War Room,” highlighting McCarthy’s uninspiring record:
What wins have we seen under Speaker McCarthy's leadership? pic.twitter.com/hU0v7Fmm3c
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) October 3, 2023
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) explained why he decided to vote against McCarthy, even though McCarthy is his “friend.” He said in a video that he had to choose between his friendship with McCarthy and his conscience. Burchett cited the massive and steadily growing U.S. debt. “At some point we’ve just got to say, enough is enough,” he said. “I worry about losing our country…we are going to face financial ruin.”
My decision on Motion to Vacate and how I came to it. pic.twitter.com/kePHTSHUlw
— Tim Burchett (@timburchett) October 3, 2023
Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) posted after the vote that he wants to ensure “We the People” aren’t “steamrolled by the status quo.”
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) October 3, 2023
Finally, I’d like to add my own personal opinion. “Infighting is bad for the GOP,” we are told, but spineless politicians who consistently cave to the Democrats are helping destroy our nation. The U.S. debt is “unsustainable,” according to experts, and yet McCarthy even reportedly made a deal with Joe Biden for Ukraine funding we can’t afford! We need people in charge who work for American citizens, not people who assist our disastrous careen toward national bankruptcy and collapse. Republicans lose partly because we have a defeatist mentality; we assume we’re going to lose before we even start fighting, and we choose to act based on how we think Democrats will respond. That’s unacceptable. Thank God the Founders didn’t think the same way. The Democrats sure as heck don’t, which is probably how they took over all our institutions and normalized ideologies that a few decades ago were considered blatant insanity.
The fight is not over.
Now we must elect a Speaker.
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) October 3, 2023
We are perilously close to world war and national insolvency because politicians prioritized “the party” and “compromise” over saving America. What has it EVER benefited us to be “loyal” to politicians who show no loyalty whatsoever to us?
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