Republicans Gaetz, Greene blast party’s closed-door speaker discussions
Fox News
Some House Republicans are not taking a liking to the conference’s closed-door meetings to choose a new chamber speaker, even though that is typically the norm for such discussions.
House GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia have chirped on social media about their party’s secluded meetings to choose a speaker candidate.
The meetings culminated with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., being chosen by the GOP conference as their standard-bearer in the speaker race after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster.
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According to a GOP staffer, the speaker’s deliberations are typically conducted behind closed doors for both parties as the House elects the speaker internally from the assembled members — though technically it can be anyone, even if they’re not a member.
“Let’s do this on the House floor instead of behind closed doors,” Greene tweeted. “Stop dragging it out.”
“If Kevin McCarthy had to go 15 rounds then the next Speaker should be able to do the same or more if they have to,” Greene continued. “Our job titles are REPRESENTATIVES of the American People. Let’s go.”
Gaetz tweeted that he agreed with Greene, saying the House GOP should “do the messy work of governing and leadership selection in front of the people.”
“Just like I voted against McCarthy time after time…in public…making my argument, others should have to reveal their thinking and be appropriately judged by their voters,” Gaetz said.
“We elected [and] removed McCarthy with total transparency,” the Florida congressman said of his motion to vacate, a very public House function. “Let’s replace him in the same manner.”
However, even with Gaetz’s grandstanding outside the GOP conference meetings, he took part in the internal deliberations, even piggybacking on Texas Rep. Chip Roy’s amendment to raise the vote threshold for a House speaker floor vote.
“Take a look at what Gaetz is saying on Twitter as opposed to conference yesterday,” a GOP source familiar with the House deliberations told Fox News Digital.
Gaetz reportedly dubbed Roy’s proposal as the “Matt Gaetz proposal.”
Gaetz responded to the criticism online, tweeting that the “closed door process happened” over his “objection.”
“I thought we should have proceeded to an open process the moment McCarthy was removed,” Gaetz wrote. “I voted for [House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim] Jordan in that process.”
“Jordan lost by 7 votes, endorsed Scalise, offered to nominate Scalise and is whipping votes for Scalise,” he added.
The chirping comes as House Republicans continue to deliberate on their conference’s choice for speaker.
It is still unclear on when the House GOP will hold the official vote to determine the next speaker to succeed McCarthy.
Scalise was chosen on Wednesday as the GOP’s nominee for speaker, defeating House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.