Matt Gaetz - Kevin McCarthy Hasn't "Earned" Speakership

00:01:43
MR. GAETZ
HOUSE. MR. GAETZ: SEVERAL BELIEVE THAT ONE EARNS THE POSITION OF SPEAKER BY RAISING ENORMOUS SUMS OF MONEY, AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS NOMINATED BY MR. GARCIA IS THE LeBRON JAMES OF SPECIAL INTEREST FUNDRAISING IN THIS TOWN. THERE'S NOBODY BETTER. BUT I WILL SUGGEST THAT THERE ARE QUALIFICATIONS FOR SPEAKER THAT ARE FAR MORE IMPORTANT. THERE ARE ATTRIBUTES THAT ARE MORE PORND. JIM -- THAT HAVE THOSE. JIM JORDAN HAS THOSE. I HEARD MY COLLEAGUE FROM CALIFORNIA, MR. GARCIA, SAY THAT WE SEEK PURE, SELFLESS INTENT, AND I COULD NOT AGREE MORE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT. MR. JORDAN INDEED IS REFLECTIVE OF PURE, SELFLESS INTENT. I DON'T KNOW THAT THE SAME CAN BE SAID FOR THE REPUBLICAN ALTERNATIVE. LET'S START WITH PURITY. MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THE REPORTS THAT THERE ARE NEGOTIATIONS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT ON THIS SIDE OF THE AISLE THERE CAN BE A DEAL, A MEETING OF THE MINDS, A GRAND BARGAIN THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO PROCEED WITH THE SPEAKERSHIP. AND I WANT ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES TO KNOW, REGARDLESS OF YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON ME, HOW IMPURE SOME OF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE GONE. I WANT THE COUNTRY TO KNOW. THE PRINCIPAL GOAL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OBJECTING TO MR. McCARTHY ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE IS WE DON'T BELIEVE THE RULES OF THIS PLACE UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF ALL OF THE MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO CAST VOTES ON INDIVIDUAL BILLS AND TO OFFER AMENDMENTS ON APPROPRIATIONS ACTS, AND WE'RE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT SPENDING THAT HAS BALLOONED OUR DEBT AND BORROWED AGAINST THE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS. . HE SAID WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE THE OVERSIGHT AND JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AND NEVER SUBMIT YOUR NAMES OBJECT THE RULES COMMITTEE OR APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. GOSH, IF YOU GET A LIST OF FOLKS WILLING TO COME EARLY ON FLY-IN DAYS FOR RULES AND FOLKS WHO ARE WILLING TO TAKE ON THE EXTRA BURDEN OF OUR APPROPRIATORS WHO WORK SO HARD, THEN I'LL CERTAINLY WORK TO DO THAT. WE ENDEAVORED IN GOOD FAITH AND PURE GOOD DATE TO CREATE THAT LIST -- GOOD FAITH TO CREATE THAT LIST WHAT DID MR. MCCARTHY DO, HE WENT OUT TO THE MEDIA AND CAME TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CONFERENCE, SEE, THEY JUST WANT JOBS FOR THEMSELVES. THAT IS NOT PURE. SELFLESSNESS. SELFLESSNESS IS NOT SELLING SHARES OF YOURSELF TO THE LOBBY CORE AND THEN DOING THEIR BIDDING AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. BUT THERE CERTAINLY IS INTENT. IT'S AN INTENT DRIVEN ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY BY PERSONAL AMBITION.* THAT AMBITION IS PARALYZING THE HOUSE NOW. MADAM CLERK, AT THIS TIME THERE IS GREAT TRUST IN MR. JORDAN, THAT'S WHY I AM NOMINATING HIM. THERE IS INSUFFICIENT TRUST IN KEVIN MCCARTHY. THERE ARE SOME WHO HAVE BEEN OBJECTING TO MR. MCCARTHY WHO ARE WORKING ON, PERHAPS CHANGES TO THE RULES, CHANGES TO CIRCUMSTANCE, THAT WOULD CONVERT THE SPEAKERSHIP FROM THE GREAT AWESOME POWERFUL POSITION IT IS NOW TO MORE OF A CEREMONIAL POSITION. ALMOST AKIN TO THE SPEAKER IN THE BRITISH HOUSE OF COMMONS. I REFER TO IT PREVIOUSLY AS A STRAITJACKET THAT SOME OF US WERE TRYING TO CONSTRUCT WITH BETTER RULES AND BETTER PERSONNEL BECAUSE WE DO NOT TRUST MR. MCCARTHY WITH POWER. BECAUSE WE KNOW WHO HE WILL USE IT FOR. WE ARE CONCERNED IT WILL NOT BE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WE TRUST JIM JORDAN. I NOMINATE HIM AND I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR HIM.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5049897/matt-gaetz-kevin-mccarthy-earned-speakership

[*4:00 Look who runs from the chamber - rats]