What Matt Gaetz And AOC Said About McCarthy Speaker Vote

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mentioned Matt Gaetz wished to know if Democrats would bail out the would-be Republican speaker. Not a chance, she informed him.

Opponents of Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid for the House speakership are digging in after a tense dialogue on the Home ground between Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

The pair’s conspicuous alternate in the again of the chamber on the first day of the 118th Congress was caught on C-SPAN - and famous by many members within the building. Thanks to Gaetz and his far-proper allies, McCarthy, a California Republican, failed to win the speakership on the first round of voting.

Gaetz told Ocasio-Cortez that McCarthy has been telling Republicans that he’ll be in a position to cut a deal with Democrats to vote current, enabling him to win a majority of these current and voting, in accordance with Ocasio-Cortez. She instructed Gaetz that wasn’t happening, and likewise double-checked with Democratic occasion management, confirming there’d be no facet deal.


What occurred right here? Can anyone learn lips? pic.twitter.com/r7PR3Srcyg
“McCarthy was suggesting he may get Dems to walk away to lower his threshold,” Ocasio-Cortez told The Intercept of her conversation with Gaetz on McCarthy’s failed ploy. “And I fact checked and mentioned completely not.”

Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of recent York won all 212 of his party’s votes, a show of unity that, if it holds, requires McCarthy to win over all but four of his colleagues.

Gaetz, who has proven a willingness to interrupt with the GOP establishment, stated that his crew of McCarthy opponents was dug in and would proceed to resist him, adding that McCarthy has been threatening opponents with loss of committee assignments. A private gathering of Republicans ahead of the vote had been heated, a number of sources mentioned. ( Call reports  didn't immediately respond to a request for remark.)

McCarthy and Gaetz offered their positions in dueling press conferences Tuesday morning. McCarthy said that Gaetz and his allies had requested plum committee assignments in trade for supporting his speaker bid. McCarthy also accused Gaetz of telling Republican members that he was prepared to elect Jeffries as speaker fairly than accede to McCarthy. Gaetz advised reporters that he and his allies didn’t trust McCarthy.


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Forward of the second round of voting, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who won six votes for speaker in the primary spherical, nominated McCarthy once more. Then Gaetz rose and nominated Jordan.  ivr system  voted for Jordan within the second spherical, leaving McCarthy again at 203 votes - 15 short of what he wanted.

Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. one other McCarthy opponent, additionally huddled with Ocasio-Cortez within the chamber, the place they mentioned the potential for adjourning the House. (Gosar didn't instantly respond to a request for remark.)

In the primary round, McCarthy gained just 203 votes, shedding 19 of his colleagues. McCarthy has been insistent on remaining in session, as have his opponents. Adjourning with out choosing a  speaker  would be embarrassing to Republicans however might also give time for McCarthy to interrupt the opposition one by one.