OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s tenuous hold on his position could become even more tenuous over a potential battle with conservatives regarding an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
Rep. Matt Gaetz made it clear on Tuesday that the California Republican could be fired if he doesn’t move forward with a vote to launch the inquiry after a number of House committees have uncovered what they claim is ample evidence of nefarious activities, including alleged bribery when he was vice president.
On social media and during a radio interview, Gaetz suggested that McCarthy could face removal for resisting the impeachment push.
“I worked very hard in January to develop a toolkit for House Republicans to use in a productive and positive way,” Gaetz wrote on Truth Social. “I don’t believe we’ve used those tools as effectively as we should have.
“We’ve got to seize the initiative,” he noted further. “That means forcing votes on impeachment. And if @SpeakerMcCarthy stands in our way, he may not have the job long.”
In an interview with talk radio host Todd Starnes, Gaetz noted that Americans he has talked to around the country are “disillusioned with House Republicans right now.”
“They think that we have not put up a substantial battle to defeat the worst elements of this Biden administration,” he added.
NY1 Spectrum News added:
To secure the votes needed to be elected speaker in January, McCarthy made a number of concessions, including allowing a single member of the House to make a motion to vacate the speakership. A simple majority of the House would need to vote to remove McCarthy.
Some House Republicans are eager to go after Biden over claims of financial misconduct involving his son Hunter, but the Democratic president has not been shown to have done anything wrong.
Last month, McCarthy did turn some heads when he said that an impeachment inquiry is “a natural step forward.” But he’s been silent about the issue since.
The White House responded to the Florida Republican’s remarks on Thursday.
“On the heels of openly admitting the goal of impeachment isn’t to get to the truth but instead to damage the President politically, Matt Gaetz is yet again confirming that House Republicans’ evidence-free impeachment stunt is being driven by the demands of the most extreme, far-right members of Congress,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said.
“If Speaker McCarthy opens an impeachment inquiry simply to throw red meat to the right wing, it will yet again prove this is nothing more than a costly, illegitimate, politically-motivated exercise not rooted in reality,” Sams added, per NY1.
Gaetz is far from the only Republican anxious to launch impeachment proceedings against Biden.
Last week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) announced during a town hall-style event in her district she would not vote to fund the government if House Republican leaders did not move to have articles of impeachment filed against Biden and do more to protect Trump from federal prosecutions.
“I’ve already decided I will not vote to fund the government unless we have passed an impeachment inquiry on Joe Biden,” Taylor Greene told the audience, to applause.
“I will not fund the government because I will not fund the weaponized part of the government. I’m not going to continue to fund the Biden regime’s weaponized government. So there should be no funding for Jack Smith. Special Counsel,” she said. “We had to fire David Weiss, who is protecting Hunter Biden on his special counsel. And we have to rein in the FBI. I will not vote for money to go towards those things.
“I will not vote for a continuing resolution that funds mask mandates, vaccine mandates, and COVID. Because that is over. Joe Biden even declared that is over,” she added.
“And lastly, my red line in the sand has always been, I will not vote to fund a war in Ukraine. We have to have peace,” she said. “So I will be happy to work with all of my colleagues. I will work with the Speaker of the House. I will work with everyone, but I will not fund those things. And I thought it was most important for me to tell you all first because I work for you. And that’s that’s what we have to do.”
