Gaetz: ‘We will see’ if Democrats ‘bail out our failed Speaker’

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) indicated Tuesday that he could force a vote on ousting House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), suggesting the House will soon see if his Democratic colleagues “bail out our [its] failed Speaker.”

“And the one thing I agree with my Democrat colleagues on is that for the last eight months, this House has been poorly led,” Gaetz said on the House floor Tuesday night. “And we own that, and we have to do something about it, and you know what? My Democratic colleagues will have an opportunity to do something about that too, and we will see if they bail out our failed Speaker.” 

Gaetz has repeatedly threatened to oust McCarthy from his Speakership role if he does not cave to a series of conservative demands on spending and legislation. The Florida Republican has insisted he is serious about following through on his threat, though he has not yet introduced a motion to do so. 

Under current House rules, it only takes one member to bring up a motion to vacate the Speakership.

“Our country right now is $33 trillion in debt, facing $2 trillion annual deficits,” Gaetz said. “We’re in so much debt, we’re driving up deficits so fast, we are devaluing American money so rapidly that in America today, you can’t even bribe Democrat senators with cash alone. You need to bring the gold bars to get the job done,” he added, in an apparent reference to Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who is facing federal bribery charges after the FBI found nearly $500,000 in cash and $100,000 in gold at the senator’s home last year. 

Asked about Gaetz’s comments, McCarthy told reporters Tuesday, “Look, people have got to get over personal differences. I’m focused on America.”

“He never voted for me to start out with. I don’t assume he’s changing his position,” the Speaker continued.

When asked if Gaetz’s comments bothered him, McCarthy responded, “Does it look like it bothers me? No, it doesn’t.”

Gaetz is among a handful of hard-liner House Republicans who have vowed to oppose a short-term funding bill, known as a continuing resolution, that would keep the government open past the Sept. 30 deadline. 

In a concession to conservative House members, House Republicans advanced four full-year spending bills in a 216-212 vote Tuesday night. Conservative firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was the only GOP “no” vote. 

The vote handed McCarthy a small win, after being met with conservative opposition to advance full-year spending measures last week. While the advancement of the four bills themselves does nothing to avert a shutdown, McCarthy is hoping to build enough goodwill with conservatives to change their minds on voting for a short-term funding bill. 

Gaetz, a consistent critic of McCarthy, told Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo earlier this week not to give McCarthy any credit for these four appropriations bills, which covered funding for Homeland Security; the State Department and foreign operations; the Department of Defense; and the Department of Agriculture. 

Gaetz said McCarthy was moving the bills through the chamber this week only because he and his GOP colleagues “made him do it.” 

Emily Brooks contributed.

Updated on Sept. 27 at 11:06 a.m. ET