Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida on Tuesday fired a salvo in an intraparty fight over spending that could lead to a partial government shutdown, saying he would launch a process for removing House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his post if McCarthy doesn’t meet his demands. In a speech on the House floor, Gaetz called on McCarthy to steer clear of a short-term spending bill that would prevent a shutdown and instead rely on individual spending bills, and he urged the California Republican to hold votes on balanced budgets and term limits. The Florida Republican also demanded impeachment for President Joe Biden and subpoenas for Biden’s family. “Do these things or face a motion to vacate the chair, and let me alert the country — a motion to vacate might not pass at first, but it might before the 15th vote,” Gaetz added, referring to how McCarthy was elected speaker in January in the 15th round of voting.
