An elected official on the far right in the US, Matt Gaetz, filed a motion to impeach Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday.
This procedural maneuver, rarely used in the history of the U.S. legislature, comes after Congress approved a temporary government budget on Saturday, which many conservatives rejected.
The proposal, filed by Matt Gaetz, an elected official from Florida, is likely to trigger a showdown in the House of Representatives in the coming days.
MEGA/IF
“Keep going!” Mr. McCarthy immediately replied in a defiant tone in a message on X (formerly Twitter).
Mr. Gaetz, who is very close to Donald Trump, accused Kevin McCarthy of reaching a “secret agreement” with President Joe Biden about a possible package for Ukraine in the middle of budget negotiations.
AFP
However, the right wing of the Republican Party strongly opposes releasing additional funds to Kyiv and believes that these funds should instead be used to combat the migration crisis at the US-Mexico border.
Due to the very small Republican majority in this institution, this group in the House of Representatives has de facto veto power over a large number of files.
Kevin McCarthy, a 58-year-old speaker, was forcibly elected in January based on that very narrow majority.
To reach the top, he had to make huge concessions to some twenty Trumpists, including the possibility that any elected official would have the power to call a vote to remove him.
Getty Images via AFP
This fratricidal initiative was expected: Mr. McCarthy, who was elected at the expense of numerous negotiations with the Trumpists, said on Saturday that he was aware that he was risking his seat.
“You know what, if I have to risk my position to defend the American people, I will,” he assured.
To be approved, this motion requires a majority vote in the House of Representatives.
To keep his seat, the Republican speaker of the House may have to rely on Democratic votes. However, nothing has yet been decided on the latter. Joe Biden’s party is currently discussing whether or not Kevin McCarthy should be saved.