Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is now accusing Speaker Kevin McCarthy of negotiating a secret side deal with Biden and the Democrats on funding for Ukraine.
Gaetz said during a speech on the House floor:
What was the secret side deal on Ukraine? House Democrats and President Biden have said that as Speaker McCarthy was asking Republicans to vote for a continuing resolution so as to avoid having to take the Senate’s plus up in Ukraine money, that the Speaker of the House was actually cutting a side deal to bring Ukraine legislation to this floor with President Biden.
So let me get this straight to extend Joe Biden’s spending and Joe Biden’s policy priorities. The Speaker of the House gave away to Joe Biden the money for Ukraine that Joe Biden wanted. It is going to be difficult for my Republican friends to keep calling President Biden feeble. While he continues to take Speaker McCarthy’s lunch money in every negotiation.
The Speaker of the House has responded to these reports of a secret side deal on money for Ukraine. Opaquely stating that he still wants to fund Ukraine and our border. I have a few replies to this statement. First, the Speaker’s statement confirms the existence of a secret deal. And I have talked to members of our own leadership who have said they didn’t even know that Speaker McCarthy was negotiating a secret side deal outside of our conference, outside of his own leadership team, for the sake of Ukraine.
Second, Ukraine has lost the support of a majority of the majority. The last time there was a freestanding Ukraine vote on this floor, it was last week, 101 Republicans voted for it, 117 Republicans voted against it. According to the Hastert rule, which Speaker McCarthy agreed to in January, you cannot use Democrats to roll a majority of the majority, certainly on something as consequential as Ukraine.
So for all the crocodile tears about what may happen later this week about a motion to vacate, working with the Democrats is a yellow brick road that has been paved by Speaker McCarthy. Whether it was the debt limit deal, the CR, or now the secret deal on Ukraine. For a third. This is swampy, log rolling, the American people deserve single subject bills.
Video:
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) says Speaker McCarthy made a “secret deal” with Democrats on funding for Ukraine: “It is becoming increasingly clear who the Speaker of the House already works for and it’s not the Republican Conference.” pic.twitter.com/YXFYyEa35V
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 2, 2023
Rep. Gaetz is trying to lay the groundwork to justify the motion to vacate that he said that he would file this week. Once Gaetz files the motion, the House will vote on it, and given that there is expected to be enough members to favor booting the Speaker, the House is expected to virtually shut down and be paralyzed by more Republican in-fighting.
Speaker Pelosi was right about Gaetz and the MAGA House Republicans. They are frauds who seeking attention. It could also be added that they want to cause chaos and drama.
Gaetz has to file his motion to vacate soon, or all patience will be lost with him and his games.
Matt Gaetz and his ilk want to defund Ukraine, and he is using Ukraine as a pretext for ousting Kevin McCarthy.