Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said Monday on MSNBC’s “The Beat” that the rule changes resulting from Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) House speaker vote negotiations were supported by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Host Ari Melber said, “So people have seen you there. We look at the new rules. First question, what do you think you or the Republican caucus are now achieving under these new rules?”
Gaetz said, “These new rules will last long past my time in Congress or Kevin McCarthy’s as speaker, and they democratize the process so that individual members can offer amendments, can target spending for reductions.”
He added, “It was even Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that went on Alex Wagner’s program during this balloting and said that a lot of the things that we were fighting for as conservative populists were supported by populists on the left because it didn’t concentrate so much power in the hands of the speaker and the leadership. I think that will vindicate the service of all 435 members.”
Melber asked, “Let’s take a look at some of the rules. As you mentioned, a single member, instead of a larger group, can force a kind of no-confidence vote, a longer time to read the bills, others up on the screen. Thus far, do you feel that McCarthy is following all of this? And do you expect there to be a potential no-confidence vote in his tenure, or that’s probably off the table now?”
Gaetz said, “I don’t expect it, though, of course, it is good for the health of the institution for any speaker to know that one member could call for a vote on their reign in power. I’m particularly pleased that Kevin McCarthy has been meeting his commitments on policy, on procedure and on personnel.”
He added, “We’ve got a number of great conservatives now on the Rules Committee and on the Appropriations Committee that wouldn’t have had that opportunity, but for this temporary clash at the beginning of the year, I think we’re a stronger team now going forward. And I think we’ve given Kevin McCarthy every reason to be the very best version of himself.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
