A small group of Republicans just helped blow up the House of Representatives. Now, Mike Pence has a message for his fellow conservatives that they might not want to hear. Here’s the full story.
Fresh Meat
It didn’t take long for the vultures to start swarming after Speaker of the House Mike McCarthy brokered a deal with Democrats to keep the government running.
McCarthy Brokered a Deal
With the deadline for coming up with a new budget set at October 1, McCarthy worked with Dems and fellow Republicans to come up with a 45-day stay of execution.
Avoid at All Costs
It was just that sort of “continuing resolution” that McCarthy vowed to avoid at all costs when he was lobbying to become speaker back in early 2023.
He Had No Choice
But the reality of the impasse caught up with McCarthy as time ran out, and he apparently saw no other choice.
They Don’t Care About His Problems
That tough spot didn’t matter to a small group of conservative representatives, though.
Bad History in the Making
Led by Florida’s Matt Gaetz, eight Republicans joined with 208 Democrats in voting to remove McCarthy as speaker.
It was a historically awful moment, as the House had voted on the removal of a speaker only once before.
First Time Didn’t Count
That came way back in 1910, but Joe Cannon survived that uprising.
He’s One of a Kind
That makes McCarthy the only Speaker of the House to ever be removed from his position by his congressional colleagues.
Temporary Ring Leader
And the move throws the House back into the chaos that McCarthy himself was barely managing to keep at bay.
For the time being, Patrick McHenry will serve as speaker pro tempore until the rest of the circus can figure out what’s next.
Leaking Out of the Capitol
The spectacle unfolding in congress isn’t confined to the recesses of the Capitol building, either. In fact, it’s become a big story on the campaign trail.
She Wanted Pence’s Take
In an appearance at Georgetown University as part of a foreign policy forum, former Vice President Mike Pence was asked by moderator Meg Kinnard what he thought about the situation in the House.
No Mince from Pence
Pence didn’t mince words when it came to addressing the shortcomings of his fellow Republicans.
Dad’s Not Mad – He’s Disappointed
“I am deeply disappointed that a handful of Republicans would partner with all the Democrats,” Pence said.
OK, He’s Also Mad
Pence then laid into the lawmakers for wasting time and energy on petty in-fighting rather than doing their jobs – solving America’s problems.
Not Helping America
None of the back-biting is helping American families, the Presidential candidate said.
And none of it is addressing problems with border security or helping with the energy crisis.
Not Over Yet
What’s more, Pence said, all of the fighting and intrigue is not over by a long shot. And he even thinks it may end up with no net change in Washington.
The Devil You Know
Specifically, Pence expects voting for the next Speaker to begin in short order.
What’s more, he thinks most Republicans will vote to hand the gavel back to McCarthy.
Time Is Slipping Away
In the meantime, the 45-day clock for a new budget resolution is ticking away.
And the Speaker who helped keep the ship moving has had his political knees capped.
Watching Every Move
Will the Republicans get their act together in time to avoid a shutdown?
Mike Pence is watching from the sidelines with the pursed lips and folded arms of a disappointed dad.
The post “Deeply Disappointed” – Pence in a Shocking Turn Against His Own Republicans first appeared on The Public Slate.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / mark reinstein. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.