During an episode of NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired on Sunday, the Republican representative for Florida, Matt Gaetz, who is running for Speaker of the House, chose not to say which of the two candidates he would support.
Gaetz, who led the drive to remove previous Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the representative from California, last week, did not divulge his support for either Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) or House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) in the next election for the Speakership, which is slated to take place this week.
Gaetz told Kristen Welker that he wanted to hear their detailed plans on spending, budgets, and single-subject appropriations bills, Welker asked the Florida Republican whether he would support the candidate who received the most support from the Republican conference. Gaetz said that he would, adding that he’s eager to vote for either of those men on the floor if either of them were to receive the most support from the conference attendees.
The previous week, eight Republicans joined forces with Democrats in an effort to oust McCarthy from his job. McCarthy has said that he will not seek the position of Speaker of the House again, but he does want to seek reelection to his current congressional seat.
On Sunday, Gaetz expressed his support for both candidates for Speaker of the House, noting that the House is fortunate to have two excellent individuals in the running for the job. He made the implication that the job will receive a promotion with the incoming Speaker.
Gaetz stated that whether there was a Speaker Steve Scalise or a Speaker Jim Jordan there won’t be a single Republican who wouldn’t feel that they have upgraded the position. Maybe not Kevin McCarthy.
From a managerial point of view, Gaetz said they need to ensure that our nation can maintain its financial stability over the long term. He said that with either Steve Scalise or Jim Jordan as the new Speaker of the House, they will unquestionably have an upgrade, and he couldn’t be more excited about it.
