November 10, 2023
On October 3rd of this year, for the first time in its history, the United States Congress removed a sitting Speaker of the House through a special vote. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was removed through a simple motion by a member of his own Republican party, led by Matt Gaetz (R-FL). It was a shock to the current Congress since it has never been done before in the history of the United States House of Representatives. Was this move by a specific group of Republicans a smart move, or has it damaged the GOP agenda in the House?
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Before Kevin McCarthy assumed his duties as the newly elected Speaker of the House on November 22, 2023, he had to survive several "No" votes that were humiliating to his candidacy before getting the required number of votes to win the top position in the House. The negotiations between his party's more aggressive populists included a concession by Mr. McCarthy to allow any member of the GOP Caucus to bring forth a no-confidence snap vote at any time.
So, on October 3rd, Matt Gaetz brought forth the motion to declare that the Speaker position was "vacant," which required Mr. McCarthy to counter his motion with a vote for his support, and to everyone's shock surprise, Mr. Gaetz was able to remove a Speaker of the House. Of course, the Democrats played their gleeful part as well, voting with eight Republicans to vote against Mr. McCarthy.
The rogue Republican members of Congress were upset at the negotiations involved in raising the debt ceiling, amongst other issues at the root of their displeasure with Kevin McCarthy. Mr. Gaetz, Nancy Mace (R-SC), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Eli Craine (R-AZ), and Andy Biggs (R-AZ) were among those members who got their wish and removed a sitting House Speaker. Moderate Democrats and Republicans didn't think the vote was warranted, since working across the aisle to keep the government operating was a common goal, despite serious political and policy differences between the parties.
After the shock vote that passed, several Republicans stepped forward to try and win support from the members of their caucus. First, it was conservative Steve Scalise (R-LA), who was memorably shot during practice for the annual baseball game between Republicans and Democrats. Although he was popular and well-liked, he was not able to draw the required support to win after multiple vote tallies. Next, it was the former gym teacher and "The Jackletless One," Jim Jordan (R-OH). He failed several rounds of voting. Finally, after a week or so, a fellow Louisianan of Mr. Scalise, Mike Johnson (R-LA), won the support of the GOP caucus and was able to secure the votes needed when the full House voted. Democrats immediately attacked his deeply religious views and attempted to paint him as a religious fanatic who does not share congressional Democrats or their voters' priorities in matters such as abortion, immigration, and economic policy.
So what was the endgame here for Matt Gaetz and his faction within the GOP caucus? One of the most important elections in the country's history is a year away, and his actions have brought about instability within their party. If you are a Republican, control of the lower chamber of Congress is vital to their party's agenda and goals. Removing a Republican Speaker who appeared to be a moderate, but was the party's best fundraiser does not appear to be a savvy political calculation. That is generally one of the primary reasons a member is able to become Speaker of the House, due to their ability to raise large amounts of money, which is then distributed to the campaign war chests of those running for re-election. In the House especially, where members seek re-election every two years, money is extremely important. Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi was the leader of the Democrats in the House, and her position before as Minority Leader was due to her excellent relationship with wealthy donors and corporate America. In fact, that is the single most important skill in having a leadership position in either the House or the Senate.
Removing one of your party's prolific fundraisers is a serious tactical error so close to a vital national election across multiple levels of government that I am at a loss for its motivation. I get that Matt Gaetz and his group of renegade members had intense problems with the lack of fiscal responsibility during the debt ceiling negotiations, not to mention other issues, such as financial support for Israel and Ukraine. Their displeasure will have serious costs politically. Personally, I don't think this was well thought out on their part. I am aware of the various groups with Congress, dispersed amongst both parties, that do not march in lockstep with party leadership. However, those on the Democratic side, such as "The Squad," led by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have been muted in their ability to cause problems for Nancy Pelosi in the past and the current party leadership. The Republicans on the other hand, since they are the party out of power in the White House, cannot control or work effectively with their own members that have their own separate agenda.
I think that Mr. Gaetz's political machinations could cost Republicans in the 2024 elections. With President Biden and Vice President Harris both polling badly, the economy not working for the majority of Americans, especially the lower middle class, along with chaos and conflict in Europe and the Middle East, it was a good opportunity to raise vital fundraising dollars to mount serious challenges to the down-ballot campaigns during their party's presidential nominating process. Having stability within your party's leadership in the House is a necessary foundation to win back control of the Senate and White House. This miscalculation by the eight members of the GOP who forced a vote on their own Speaker because of ideological purity will backfire I am afraid.
The new Republican Speaker has not proven himself to be adept at withstanding political fights launched by the Democrats and shepherding his own party to hold the line for issues important to their donors and voters. If the GOP wants to challenge President Biden's agenda, they must hold onto the lower chamber, at least, while hoping to have party turnout so they can attempt to win back the Senate.
Matt Gaetz's aggressive political maneuver may have won him the adoration of Republicans who share his political ideology, and his fellow renegades in the House, but in the end, I think this might have been a Pyrrhic Victory. His aggressive action may have won him short-term success, but will ultimately doom the party when it had a good chance (and was within striking distance), to make gains in the Senate, and possibly the White House, for a banner year for the GOP in 2024. However, actions have consequences, and Mr. Gaetz's actions may have fatal consequences for his party's immediate future.
