Gaetz cites strong base and says he’s not worried about retribution from McCarthy ouster

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) scoffed at the idea that ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as speaker would negatively impact him.

Gaetz appeared on Meet the Press on Sunday to be peppered with questions by host Kristen Welker on the fallout following Democratic House members and eight Republican members voting to vacate McCarthy as speaker. The Florida representative filed the motion to vacate McCarthy and rallied support for his cause. Welker asked Gaetz if he was at all worried about his job security as a result.

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“The voters in Florida’s 1st Congressional District sent me here with 70% of the vote. I think anyone trying to kick me out of Congress because they didn’t like me would have a bone to pick with them,” Gaetz said. “I am here to fight for my constituents, and I am here to ensure that America is not on a path to financial ruin.”

Gaetz disagreed with McCarthy’s process to have only one up or down vote on the entire government’s funding, whereas Gaetz would rather vote on each budget item line by line. He referred to himself as “the guy saying we need a budget.”

“Your average American family is spending $700 more each and every month for the same household goods and services. We are about to refinance $8 trillion in debt from low-interest rates to high-interest rates,” Gaetz explained Sunday.

“We’re spending $7 trillion a year and only taking in five. To me, people willing to drive $2 trillion annual deficits are the agents of chaos. The people of budgets are people of regular order.”

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The three-term representative said his efforts would “absolutely” be worth losing his job over.

Florida‘s first district will have the option to reelect Gaetz in the 2024 election, where two other Republican candidates will primary him. A lone Democratic candidate is slated to face off against Gaetz next November.