By Illinois Review
As the House Republican Conference begins the process to elect a new leader, allies of Kevin McCarthy are throwing temper tantrums and vowing to block Speaker candidates and federal funding to Rep. Matt Gaetz’ Florida district as the country nears another government shutdown in just a little over forty days.
In a historic and unprecedented vote late Tuesday, McCarthy was removed as House Speaker for breaking promises, cutting deals with the Democrats and negotiating a debt ceiling bill with the White House that failed to offer up any real reforms and included funding for President Joe Biden’s student loan bailout, among other things.
After McCarthy was removed from office, he held a press conference in his former office – the Speaker’s suite, where he blasted the eight Republicans who voted to remove him, saying “they are not conservatives.”
Republican officials in Illinois use a similar line when attacking anyone who criticizes them – especially conservative, Trump-supporting grassroots Republicans. The Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of this publication have been falsely accused by IL GOP leaders over the last year of being “Democrats” and secretly working with Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker for attempting to remove Don Tracy as chair of the Illinois Republican Party.
Over Easter weekend, IL GOP officials – through their emissaries even threatened to sue this publication for publishing factual pieces that make local and statewide Republican establishment leaders uncomfortable.
One would think that this publication was called “Beijing Review” or “Moscow Review” – places where government leaders prosecute and jail reporters and silence news publications for writing stories critical of their political officials.
McCarthy allies – still fuming over yesterday’s vote, are also vowing to block Speaker candidates, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise – McCarthy’s number two in leadership, who’s been making calls and waging a campaign for the House’s top job since yesterday’s historic vote.
Scalise survived a near assassination attempt in 2017 from a left-wing extremist during baseball practice for the annual Congressional baseball game. Scalise’s body went into immediate shock following the shooting and he was rushed into surgery with massive bleeding and life threatening injuries.
After a long recovery that included physical rehabilitation, Scalise returned to work.
In August, Scalise announced that he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma – a form of blood cancer. The Majority Leader has said that the chemotherapy treatment is working and that he expects a full recovery.
North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry – a close ally of McCarthy, who is serving as Speaker Pro Tempore until a new Speaker is elected – threw a temper tantrum from the Speaker’s chair as he called the House into recess following the vote to remove McCarthy by angrily slamming the gavel down.
As Collin Rugg correctly pointed out in a post on X,
“Where was this anger as millions of migrants poured over the southern border? Where was this anger as US debt rises over $33T? Where was this anger when the FBI rounded up Trump supporters and threw them in prison? Where is this anger as the “justice” system tries to take out Biden’s top opponent in 2024?”
In his first move as temporary speaker, McHenry continued his temper tantrum by evicting California Democrat Rep. Nancy Pelosi first, and Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer (D) on Wednesday, from their hideaway offices in the Capitol – a perk afforded to senior House leaders of both parties – in retaliation for the House Democratic Caucus voting to remove McCarthy as speaker.
U.S. Capitol sources are also reporting that House GOP aides plan on blocking federal funding to Gaetz’ Florida district – a move that hurts the people and businesses in his community.
Republican U.S. Representative Nancy Mace from South Carolina made a strong case as one of the eight who voted against McCarthy. And it wasn’t about politics – it was about policy and keeping your word.
“The Speaker has not lived up to his word on how the House would operate. No budget, no separate spending bills until it was too late, a CR which takes spending power out of the hands of the people and puts all the power into the hands of a select few.
There has also been no action on many issues we care about and were promised. We were promised we would move on women’s issues and legislation to keep our communities safe. Those things never happened.”
Back in Illinois McCarthy ally and Illinois Republican national committeeman Richard Porter posted photos with McCarthy on his Facebook stories.
Just recently, Porter falsely referred to Gaetz as “Biden’s favorite Republican.”
In another Facebook post on September 20th, Porter referred to McCarthy as an “exemplary leader.”
Back in May, Porter endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president, who currently trails frontrunner President Donald Trump by 51 points.
On Wednesday, Rep. Jim Jordan (OH) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (La) officially announced their intention to run for Speaker.
It’s critical that the House elects a new Speaker because in about forty days – just in time for the holidays, the U.S. government faces another shutdown as the 45-day continuing resolution negotiated by McCarthy expires and the government runs out of money.
