If there was ever a political surprise coming out of the 2021 Legislative session, it was the surprise filing of a motion by Representative Matt Gaetz on Friday to have House Speaker Kevin McCarthy removed from his role as Speaker of the House. Gaetz, a Republican from Florida, cited procedural irregularities and what he described as “unprofessional conduct” by McCarthy in his motion, which was filed with the U.S. House Rules Committee.
Gaetz argued that McCarthy had not been forthright in his communication regarding the impeachment process of former President Donald Trump, something he categorized as a breach of his public trust and a violation of the House rules. Gaetz pointed out that McCarthy knew well before the public that Trump had attempted to pressure the government of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. Furthermore, Gaetz argued, McCarthy had failed to hold the former President accountable, effectively shielding him from any repercussions.
In his motion, Gaetz also accused McCarthy of failing to uphold the proper rules of debate and misusing process to settle political differences within the GOP ranks. In what was an unprecedented move, Gaetz acknowledged that his motion had very little chance of succeeding due to the Democratic majority, but he was hoping to trigger a serious discussion about the misconduct of the Speaker of the House.
Whether or not the motion goes anywhere remains to be seen; however, it does send a clear message that the 2022 election is already off to a hot start. It may not be long before other members of the House join Gaetz in his efforts to hold McCarthy accountable in the months leading up to the election.
