McCarthy Confident Amid Gaetz’s Challenge To Speakership

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has dismissed Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-FL) latest attempt to remove him from the speakership, asserting that it won’t succeed. McCarthy’s remarks came in response to Gaetz’s announcement of a “motion to vacate” against him, following the passage of a short-term spending bill that averted a government shutdown.

McCarthy to Gaetz: ‘Bring It On,’ I’ll Survive as Speaker https://t.co/55fSaXWvl0

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In a candid interview with anchor Margaret Brennan on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” McCarthy addressed Gaetz’s persistent efforts to unseat him, stating, “That’s nothing new. He’s tried to do that from the moment I ran for office.”

Brennan probed further, asking if McCarthy could weather this latest challenge. McCarthy’s response was resolute, “I’ll survive. You know, this is personal with Matt. Matt voted against the most conservative ability to protect our border and secure our border. He’s more interested in securing TV interviews than doing something.”

“He wanted to push us into a shutdown, even threatening his own district with all the military people there who would not be paid. Only because he wants to take this motion, so be it. Bring it on! Let’s get over with it, and let’s start governing. If he’s upset because he tried to push us into a shutdown, and I made sure the government didn’t shut down, then let’s have that fight,” he added.

Gaetz stirred controversy by offering Democrats subpoena power in exchange for their support in removing McCarthy from the speakership, according to a Friday report by Politico. 

The lawmaker has however denied engaging in talks with Democrats over this effort, insisting that he was focused on defeating the short-term spending bill championed by McCarthy. 

However, the New York Post reported that he proposed that Democrats gain subpoena power on the House Oversight Committee in the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, in exchange for assisting him in ousting McCarthy.

This proposal, if true, would empower Democrats to choose witnesses for subpoenas in the investigation into the First family’s overseas business dealings. It would also grant them the ability to veto subpoenas from Republican members, potentially derailing the entire probe.