Rep. Matt Gaetz Challenges House Speaker Kevin McCarthy with No-Confidence Vote

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., announced on Monday that he will attempt to force out House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position of power. Gaetz’s announcement comes after Congress passed a short-term funding bill on Saturday to avert a government shutdown that did not include any aid for Ukraine.

Gaetz accused McCarthy of making a “secret side deal” with President Biden on Ukraine funding and said he would be pushing for a no-confidence vote in the Republican leader later this week. Gaetz also pointed to how McCarthy relied on Democratic votes to pass a debt and budget deal earlier this year and the bill to avert a government shutdown on Saturday.

“If Kevin McCarthy works for Democrats and utilizes Democrats in order to keep power, that would be consistent with everything we’ve seen from him,” Gaetz said.

However, Gaetz conceded on Monday that McCarthy “probably” can survive a conservative effort to oust him from power. Gaetz did not provide any further details on how he plans to force out McCarthy, but said he will continue to push for the no-confidence vote.

McCarthy has yet to respond to Gaetz’s accusations or his plans to force him out of power. It remains to be seen whether Gaetz will be successful in his efforts to oust McCarthy, or if the Republican leader will be able to survive the no-confidence vote.