House Republicans recently exacted revenge against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for his alleged “capitulation” on the debt ceiling crisis.
House Freedom Caucus members expressed their frustration with McCarthy after he reached a deal with President Joe Biden, which he signed into law. Some caucus members believed that McCarthy violated his power-sharing agreement with fellow Republicans to win the speakership in January 2023, leading to calls to remove McCarthy as speaker.
Instead of a motion to vacate the chair, House Republicans attacked their party’s leaders by temporarily striking down legislation protecting gas stoves.
By a vote of 220-206, about 12 House Republicans joined together to block a resolution to establish rules for voting on the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act and Save Our Stoves Act, despite initially supporting the bills.
“Today, we took down the rule because we’re frustrated at the way this place is operating,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said.
“We took a stand in January to end the era of the imperial speakership,” Gaetz added. “We’re concerned that the fundamental commitments that allowed Kevin McCarthy to assume the speakership have been violated as a consequence of the debt limit deal.”
Wow! 11 House Republicans joined forces with Democrats to thwart Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the House GOP's bills aimed at protecting gas stoves. This was an act of revenge by 11 Republicans in response to the debt deal brokered by Speaker McCarthy with President Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/Sq1Nqyrk02
— Tony – Resistance (@TonyHussein4) June 6, 2023
Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) explained that House Republicans want to “enforce the agreement we reached in January under which Kevin McCarthy assumed speakership.”
“As you’re seeing right now, the majority cannot function without unity,” Bishop added.
“We had an agreement that had been forged by all of us together, and it was utterly jettisoned unilaterally by the speaker. And there’s been nothing so far to address the consequences of that,” he continued.
A separate issue central to the revolt is an allegation that GOP leadership pushed back a bill that would reverse the Biden administration’s regulation of pistol braces to punish House Republicans opposing the debt ceiling bill.
Party leadership has denied such an accusation, and McCarthy will bring the debt ceiling bill for a vote soon, according to the legislation’s co-sponsor, Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA).
Bishop said the Republican caucus has not decided whether to initiate the motion to vacate, to remove McCarthy from the speakership.
