House Republican Sets Sights on Gaetz

(TotalConservative.com) – Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York believes that the dysfunction in the House of Representatives can be traced back to Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and his successful ousting of a House Speaker last year, an unprecedented event in American history.

On Thursday, Lawler appeared on CNN and told Anderson Cooper that the dysfunction in the House, especially in his conference, can be traced back to Gaetz’s decision to file a motion to vacate the House Speaker chair, ousting former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California. The successful removal of McCarthy was the first time in US history that a Speaker was effectively removed.

Now, current House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana is dealing with a similar backlash as McCarthy from his fellow Republicans. Several members of his conference are not happy about Johnson’s decision to follow through with plans to bring an aid package including aid for Ukraine to the House floor for a vote.

One of those dissatisfied with the decision is Gaetz, who said on Wednesday, April 17, that the decision by Johnson amounts to a “surrender.” He called the decision “disappointing” and said he “won’t support it.”

This time around, it’s not Gaetz, but Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia who is leading the charge by filing the motion to give Johnson the boot. She said that she doesn’t “know how long” people will tolerate Johnson, who she claimed has done nothing but serve the Democrats.

Anderson asked Lawler if he believed the $95 billion foreign aid bill would pass in the coming days and if Johnson had much time left as Speaker. Lawler replied that he believed the bill would pass, (which it did on 4/20/2024) adding that “it must pass” because the US is obligated “as leader of the free world” to support its allies during such critical junctures so that its adversaries know that the US would not tolerate actions that “destabilize” that free world.

Regarding Johnson, he said the current Speaker is in a weak position partly because of what happened to McCarthy, referring to Gaetz and the seven other Republicans who backed his ousting of the former Speaker as “useful idiots.”