DLNews Politics:

Earlier in the day, Gaetz pushed for a procedural tool –a motion to vacate — to try and strip McCarthy of his office as soon as this week after the California Republican relied on Democrats to provide the necessary votes to fund the government. The motion would allow just one member to propose a privileged resolution that could remove McCarthy from the speakership.

Kevin McCarthy

The move is an escalation of the monthslong standoff between McCarthy and his right flank that pushed him through 15 rounds of votes in January to win the gavel. During that marathon fight, he made a series of concessions to his holdout colleagues that he would keep their priorities in mind, including an agreement to block any GOP priorities that don’t receive the support of the majority of the conference. Those commitments could tee up big intraparty fights in the next few years, especially as the GOP struggles to pass their top legislative priority of cutting spending.

Gaetz is among 20 members who voted against McCarthy round after round as he fought to become speaker. On Tuesday, he waited until the 14th ballot to cast a “present” vote that left McCarthy short of the 218 needed for victory, which triggered a stir on the floor as Republicans converged around him and yelled for him to get off the stage.

In the aftermath, many members accused Gaetz of acting for personal political reasons rather than for the party’s interests. They said he was more interested in getting television interviews than doing actual work. Some complained that he was perpetuating the Washington status quo and doubted he would follow through on his promises to cut spending.

On Sunday, a Republican defender of McCarthy called on Gaetz to drop his bid and instead do the actual work of legislating. In a speech to reporters, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a McCarthy ally and leader of the Republican Problem Solvers Caucus, said he believed Gaetz was threatening to oust McCarthy because he was not working on his own district’s agenda or the larger goals of the conference.

Despite the threat, it is unlikely that Gaetz will succeed in removing McCarthy from his post. Unlike the last two times he attempted to oust the speaker, he will need most of his fellow Republicans to vote with him, and given their slim majority, that is an uphill battle. Moreover, any effort to oust the current speaker would also require the backing of most Democrats, an improbable development. Even if that were to happen, it is still being determined who would replace him.