Just when you thought this whole House Speaker debacle couldn’t possibly get any worse… Or weirder… someone’s got to come around and scream, “Hold my beer!” before nearly getting into a physical scuffle on the House floor.
Ladies and gentlemen and non-binary friends — this is what the United States government has come to.
California Republican House Rep. and now-former House GOP Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy finally won the gavel as Speaker of the US House of Representatives late last night. It only took a pathetically staggering fifteen rounds of voting for him to pull it off — and not before one GOP congressman had to be physically restrained by a fellow member of the House during an angry confrontation with FL’s Matt Gaetz, who once again refused to throw his support behind McCarthy on the 14th ballot.
During the 14th round, McCarthy only needed one measly vote to decide his ultimate faith. Matt Gaetz, who spent a whopping two months campaigning for someone different to lead the 118th Congress, refused to be that vote in Kevin’s favor.
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Gaetz pulled on his petty pants last night and frankly made the whole debacle even more ridiculous than it already was, when he walked out of the House chambers the first time his name was called. Gaetz had the chance to vote in McCarthy’s favor when his name was called again, and he shouted back “Present!”
Matt’s little move denied McCarthy the gavel for the fourteenth time in a row and the GOP side of the House almost immediately devolved into absolute chaos. McCarthy personally charged up the aisle like a bull in a China shop to confront Gaetz face to face, where the two exchanged words for several minutes before McCarthy ultimately walked away.
But Kevin wasn’t the only one who wanted a word with the Florida Republican. A visibly fuming Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama angrily approached Gaetz after his petty debacle and quickly, physically lunged at Matt Gaetz. The physical display prompted North Carolina’s GOP House Rep. Richard Hudson to grab onto Rogers and hold him back from the Florida GOPer. Rogers eventually walked away.
Ultimately, less than an hour later, a motion to adjourn failed and Kevin McCarthy secured the gavel as Speaker of the US House of Representatives in the 15th round of voting.
You can see a clip of the action here:
“Snakes On a Plane, Part 2” Rep. Richard Hudson physically restrains Rep. Mike Rogers as he lunges at Rep. Matt Gaetz. (Video: CNN) pic.twitter.com/IVDEW07maN
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) January 7, 2023
Featured image via screen capture
