House Freedom Caucus members Chip Roy (R-TX) and Byron Donalds (R-FL) said they do not support using the motion to vacate to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) at the moment and want to focus on appropriations bills.
On Sean Hannity’s radio show on Monday, Roy said that he believes McCarthy should be given the chance to finish the appropriations process and get through the rest of this battle before they bring up a motion to vacate.
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Their comments come amid threats from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to bring a motion to vacate this week. Gaetz had previously said he would move to remove the speaker if he brought a clean continuing resolution to the floor, which he did on Saturday. So now, Gaetz said the motion to vacate will come sometime this week.
But a number of his hard-line conservative colleagues disagree with his position.
“I think that the speaker deserves the ability to finish this year’s process, through the appropriations process, through the battle of funding government, through the Ukraine debate and border, and to honor the commitments he’s made,” Roy said on the show.
But, the Texas Republican caveated that, saying that McCarthy “must” use this time to secure the border, cut spending below the $1.59 trillion caps set in the debt ceiling, and consult with the conference before trying to pass aid for Ukraine.
“If you agree to a deal to give a single dollar to Ukraine and we haven’t secured the border, then it is the whole new game,” Roy said on the radio show. “The gloves are off, then.”
Donalds concurred, saying that he doesn’t believe the motion to vacate is something the conference should be “engaged in at all right now” and instead, they should focus on passing all 12 appropriations bills and ensuring the government stays funded, securing the border, and they cut spending.
He said that Gaetz’s rhetoric on the motion to vacate and the constant threat looming over McCarthy’s head is a distraction from the work the conference has to get done.
“We should be focusing on spending bills, and securing the border and decreasing our deficits,” Donalds said.
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This is a blow to Gaetz’s hopes to oust McCarthy as he needs all the Republican support he can garner in order to do so, especially from those who voted against McCarthy to become speaker to begin with, such as Roy and Gaetz.
It is unclear how Democrats would vote if a motion to vacate is activated and brought to the floor.
