Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich argued that although it could be excessive to eject Representative Matt Gaetz from the House of Representatives altogether, it might be reasonable to remove him from the House Republican Conference and take away the committee assignments he now has as a consequence for the activities he has taken. Gingrich pointed out that in order to be expelled from the House of Representatives, a vote of two-thirds is required, which may be difficult to get. On the other hand, removing Gaetz from his conference and committee responsibilities is something that can be done without the same amount of support.
Expelling a member of the Republican Party from the House Republican Conference will need a vote of two-thirds in accordance with the rules that were established for the 118th Congress. On the other hand, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has the ability to pick who will serve on which committees, but in order to remove a member from a standing committee, the House must first vote on a resolution calling for the person’s removal.
Gingrich’s remarks are made in the context of attempts by some Republican members of the House to eject Gaetz from the lower chamber owing to his threats to pursue a motion to vacate House Speaker McCarthy. Gingrich’s comments come in the context of efforts by some Republican members of the House to remove Gaetz from the lower chamber. Senator Lindsey Graham condemned such attempts, noting that ousting McCarthy from his position as speaker would be a “disaster” for the Republican Party. McCarthy is now the speaker of the House of Representatives. Gaetz has given indications that he plans to submit a move to vacate against McCarthy in the not-too-distant future.