The Battle for the Chair: Matt Gaetz Plans to Kick Kevin McCarthy from US House Speakership

Florida Republican Matt Gaetz announced Sunday (October 1) that he will challenge Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for the US House Speakership.

Gaetz told CNN that he would file what lawmakers call a "motion to vacate" against McCarthy this week, which would challenge and unseat him from the House chair.

"I think we need to rip off the Band-Aid," he said. "I think we need to move on with new leadership that can be trustworthy."

McCarthy vs. GOP Freedom Caucus

The move represented a power struggle from within the Republican party, particularly between moderates like McCarthy and the more conservative faction political analysts call the Freedom Caucus, which currently represents 45 GOP seats in the House.

According to USA Today, the rift was evidently shown after McCarthy reportedly relied on Democrats to pass a short-term stop-gap measure called a continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown, which was supposed to have been effective otherwise beginning Sunday.

US President Joe Biden signed the bill that would keep the government funded until November 17, with three hours to spare late Saturday night (September 30).

Gaetz has repeatedly threatened to file a motion to vacate if McCarthy relied on Democrat benches to pass a continuing resolution. He instead pushed for GOP leadership to pass the 12 appropriation bills necessary to fund the government in the long term, even if it meant leading the country into a government shutdown.

Despite the bipartisan support for the signed bill, New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told CNN Sunday that she would tactically align with Gaetz's motion to unseat McCarthy from the House chair, accusing him of being a "weak speaker."

McCarthy Brushes Off Gaetz's Challenge

Meanwhile, McCarthy told CBS that he actually welcomed Gaetz's challenge and promised he would survive such a motion. McCarthy added that his speakership was purportedly a "personal" matter for Gaetz, whom he accused of having no interest in governing, as well as criticizing him for voting against the party-line GOP short-term measure that the speaker claimed was far more conservative than the spending deal that was passed Saturday.