Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca.) may have enough votes to usher his debt ceiling deal through Congress, but it could cost the House Speaker his job.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Tuesday suggested that, regardless of the outcome of the debt ceiling deal vote, if a majority of Republicans oppose the deal, that would be a “black letter violation” that would likely leave McCarthy facing a threat to his speakership, CNN’s Melanie Zanona tweeted.
“If a majority of Republicans are against a piece of legislation and you use Democrats to pass it, that would immediately be a black letter violation of the deal we had with McCarthy... and it would likely trigger an immediate motion to vacate," Gaetz said according to Zanona.
Zanona reports that “McCarthy, however, has repeatedly expressed confidence that a majority of House Republicans will back the bill.”
Gaetz, a member of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus, opposes the debt ceiling deal.
He isn’t alone.
“Not one Republican should vote for this bill,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told reporters Tuesday.
“We will continue to fight it today, tomorrow, and no matter what happens, there’s going to be a reckoning about what just occurred unless we stop this bill by tomorrow.”
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Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C) went even further.
“I’m fed up with the lies. I’m fed up with the lack of courage, the cowardice,” Bishop told reporters on Tuesday.
Bishop blasted McCarthy over his handling of the debt ceiling deal, saying “Nobody could have done a worse job."