(Headline USA) Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., threatened to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., this week if the Republican leader doesn’t back an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
McCarthy has floated an impeachment inquiry into Biden over allegations of the Biden family’s illegal influence peddling scheme, but thus far has not committed to a specific date or timeframe.
Even an inquiry, however, is not enough, Gaetz argued. Republicans should move to impeach Biden immediately, he added.
“We’ve got to seize the initiative. That means forcing votes on impeachment. And if Speaker McCarthy stands in our way, he may not have the job long. Let’s hope he works with us, not against us,” Gaetz told conservative radio host Todd Starnes on Wednesday.
Gaetz went on to say that he backed McCarthy in January for the speakership after negotiating several key rule changes in the House. One such change is a lower threshold for a motion to vacate the chair, which forces a vote on recalling the speaker, from five members to one.
“I worked very hard in January to develop a toolkit for House Republicans to use in a productive and positive way. I don’t believe we’ve used those tools as effectively as we should have,” Gaetz explained.
McCarthy said this week that he will only move forward with an impeachment inquiry if there is a formal House vote — which is a departure from how his predecessor Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., handled the first impeachment inquiry against former President Donald Trump.
“To open an impeachment inquiry is a serious matter, and House Republicans would not take it lightly or use it for political purposes. The American people deserve to be heard on this matter through their elected representatives,” McCarthy said in a statement. “That’s why, if we move forward with an impeachment inquiry, it would occur through a vote on the floor of the People’s House and not through a declaration by one person.”
