Republican legislator Matt Gaetz presented a motion this Monday to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States, reigniting an intraparty battle between traditional conservatives and supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Gaetz, representative of Florida, made his proposal from the floor “declaring the position of speaker of the House of Representatives vacant.”
Gaetz is a leading figure among the small group of far-right Republican lawmakers who brought the US government to the brink of a shutdown. with his refusal to approve new federal funding without deep spending cuts.
That bloc also opposes sending additional aid to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, arguing that the money would be better spent in the United States in the fight against illegal immigration.
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Hardliners have a de facto veto over passing laws in the House, given the Republicans’ narrow victory in last November’s midterm elections.
After the House approved a last-minute measure on Saturday to extend funding, at current levels and without new aid to Ukraine, Gaetz said he would move to unseat McCarthy.
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“I think we have to rip the blindfold off,” Gaetz told CNN on Sunday.
In order to get the House Speaker’s gavel in January, McCarthy was forced to make concessions to the far-right bloc, including a change that allows a member to make a “vacancy motion.” Which left him at greater risk of dismissal.
Could McCarthy be impeached?
The horizon of Gaetz’s motion is uncertain and it is not yet clear whether Democrats will come to McCarthy’s aid.
To remove the Republican from his position, Gaetz needs the support of a simple majority of all House members who cast a vote yes or no – republicans and democrats.
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And the potential scenarios are varied. If House Democrats led by Hakeem Jeffries voted in unity to impeach McCarthy, Gaetz would only need four other hardline Republicans to join him in the mutiny.
But Democrats could also come to the Republican president’s rescue, even without formally opposing his impeachment. They could simply not participate in the impeachment vote, or vote “present,” reducing the total number of votes McCarthy needs to reach the majority.
Democrats could also join McCarthy’s more than 200 strong allies in the House in supporting congressional maneuvers to block the effort, such as putting impeachment on the table or referring it to a committee.
The truth is that congressmen now have a period of two days to vote on the motion.
Gaetz said Sunday that he believed he had enough Republican support to unseat the House speaker. AND He indicated that, if he does not have the necessary votes to give the green light to the dismissal, he will try as many times as necessary.
It took McCarty 15 votes to become president, so I don’t think I’m causing much more delay
“It took McCarty 15 votes to become president, so I don’t think I’m causing much more delay than he did unless I make it 14 or 15 tries,” the congressman said.
In a message on
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The Republican already told the press last Sunday that he is confident that he will survive if there is finally a vote to remove him.
US President Joe Biden also lashed out at McCarthy for failing to honor an agreement forged months ago over the debt crisis that was intended to avoid a shutdown fight, and for eliminating support for Ukraine.
“Stop playing games, get this over with,” Biden said Sunday.
*With AFP and EFE
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