According to reports, Republican members of the House are drafting a resolution to oust Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) from the House of Representatives in the event that the House Ethics Committee deems him guilty of unethical behavior. This decision comes after Gaetz vowed to file a motion to oust Kevin McCarthy’s position as speaker of the House of Representatives. Expelling a member of the House of Representatives needs a vote of two-thirds of the chamber, and it has the potential to affect the Republicans’ narrow majority in the chamber at this time.
Since 2021, the House Ethics Committee has been conducting an investigation against Gaetz on charges that include breaches of campaign finance laws, receiving bribes, and using narcotics. Gaetz has categorically rejected all of these allegations. He was also accused of being involved in a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking, which he has denied. According to reports, the Department of Justice has confirmed that he will not be prosecuted with any crimes.
Gaetz has been vocal in his disapproval of McCarthy’s leadership, especially in reference to the spending habits of the government, and he has stated his desire to submit a resolution to remove McCarthy as Speaker of the House. McCarthy has provided a response, in which he states that he will survive the motion.
The Republican Party is experiencing persistent tensions and infighting, as seen by this effort to eject Gaetz and the threat to resign as Speaker McCarthy. It is an unusual occurrence for members to pursue proceedings of this kind, with the most recent official attempt to remove a speaker having taken place in 1910.
The results of these motions and how they will affect the cohesiveness of the Republican Party are yet unknown, and it is possible that the situation may continue to develop over the next several weeks.