House Speaker Kevin McCarthy confronted conservatives in a recent closed-door meeting, addressing their threats to remove him from his position with an audacious flurry of scorn and expletives in a closed door meeting.
“If you want to file a motion to vacate, then file the f***ing motion,” McCarthy said. Florida Rep. Brian Mast relayed this statement to the media after the meeting. Another member present during the meeting corroborated McCarthy’s use of the strong language.
The meeting, exclusive to Republican members, discussed the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and the appropriations process. McCarthy’s response came after Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and some of his colleagues threatened to use the motion to vacate to remove McCarthy as speaker if he failed to meet their appropriations demands.
McCarthy’s evident exasperation with these holdouts has been escalating. Over the past three days, he has voiced his discontent with them. Gaetz, who has emerged as a leading thorn in the side of the House Speaker, took to X to mock McCarthy.
“Sounds like [Speaker McCarthy] is having a totally normal one — not rattled at all,” Gaetz said. “Truth is Kevin controls his own fate. … We must begin immediately. Pull yourself together, Kevin!”
McCarthy’s efforts have been focused on persuading these holdouts to vote on a rule for the defense appropriations bill. He also aims to gain support for a continuing resolution to ensure the government continues its operations. Yet, some of these more radical members have indicated they wouldn’t be opposed to a government shutdown. McCarthy described reasoning with such members as “difficult.”
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