Rep. Matt Gaetz is already questioning temporary House Speaker Patrick McHenry for adjourning the House and sending lawmakers home to ‘cry for a week.’
Gaetz, whose procedural motion toppled former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, was among the first to say an ill word about McHenry, who stepped in as the temporary Speaker pro tempore while Republicans struggle to elect a replacement.
Finding someone who can garner 218 votes is a challenge, and McHenry will fill the role at least until next Wednesday, when the House is set to convent to elect a new speaker.
Gaetz said Tuesday nigh the would prefer the House find someone to replace McCarthy by ‘tomorrow,’ having already reeled off successors he could support.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) criticized a decision by Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), the new temporary speaker pro tem, to send lawmakers home. He wanted to move to elections sooner
‘But instead, these people got to go home and cry for a week? They have got to go do a week of hand-wringing and bedwetting over the fact that Kevin McCarthy isn’t speaker anymore? This institution is about more than one man,’ he said in an appearance on the conservative Newsmax network and even pushing to oust him from the conference.
‘I do have to offer some pretty sharp criticism of the new pro tem of the House, Patrick McHenry,’ he told interviewer Eric Bolling on his program, ‘The Balance.’
He complained that ‘We met tonight, and he sent us home until Tuesday of next week.’
Republicans are set to rejoin on Tuesday, then hold a vote for speaker on the House floor Wednesday.
Gaetz has been busy defending his own reputation as well as the decision to oust McCarthy. The move had numerous House Republicans blasting him before the vote and some holding him responsible.
‘I think it’s despicable. I think Matt Gaetz is looking for clicks,’ complained Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.). He said Gaetz ‘wants attention’ and ‘has very few friends in the conference.’
‘Gaetz maybe has a couple of friends in the delegation. But I’m not one of them,’ he added.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, asked Tuesday night if he had any advice for the next speaker, responded: ‘Change the rules’
House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry moved to adjourn the House for a week as one of his first moves
Republican colleagues accused Gaetz (center) of ‘heresy’ and compared his actions to terrorism
‘I think Matt Gaetz is looking for clicks,’ complained Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.)
After McCarthy went down, Gimenez fumed about his disappointment, ‘because it means that a group of terrorists have won.’
Also blasting Gaetz before the vote was Rep. Anthony Esposito from New York, who put Gaetz’ actions in religious terms.
‘I think yesterday we saw from Matt Gaetz one of the greatest acts of heresy that I’ve seen in a while. He’s literally taken one of our oldest institutions and put it into a downward spiral, all over selfish needs, all over Twitter feeds and raising money.’
The fury is such that some Republicans want to change House rules to no longer hold the speaker subject to a motion for removal by a single member.
It was one of the demands by a band of House conservatives when McCarthy was elected on the 15th ballot.
McCarthy himself, asked Tuesday night if he had any advice for the next speaker, responded: ‘Change the rules.’
Gaetz on Tuesday denied going after McCarthy for failing to sideline an ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, use of illegal drugs, and misuse of funds.
He told Fox News host Laura Ingraham the revenge narrative was ‘totally false.’
‘I’m the most investigated man in the entire United States Congress. I have been cleared by the FBI, DoJ, the federal election commission,’ he said, calling it an ‘urban legend.’
Without a speaker in place, the House can’t act regular business such as passing appropriations bills to keep the government running, with funding set to expire in November.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
Content source – www.soundhealthandlastingwealth.com
