With Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) ousted from the Speakership and replaced with Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA), Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was undoubtedly the big winner. A more conservative lawmaker was put into a position of authority in the House, Republicans were able to rally around someone in the Conference, and single-subject spending bills were back on the table.
With this in mind, Rep. Gaetz praised the House of Representatives for including his amendment in the Department of Interior Appropriations bill which aims to protect small businesses in Northwest Florida, particularly Crab Island.
Rep. Gaetz believes his amendment was able to be passed due to the switch to single-subject spending bills – a major rallying cry for his and the Freedom Caucus’ efforts in January and October as Republicans were looking to unite behind a Speaker.
“Unfortunately, federal bureaucrats at the Department of Interior are trying to impose a commercial services strategy that will put our mom-and-pop businesses out of business, that will limit the enjoyment of Crab Island, and won't do anything to make people safer,” said Rep. Gaetz. “Because we had a single-subject spending bill on the Department of the Interior, I was able to go to the floor of the House of Representatives to make the case that our state and local governments are best prepared to manage Crab Island, not the federal Department of the Interior.
He continued, I want to thank the great folks at the City of Destin who passed a resolution in support of my legislative efforts to keep local and state control over Crab Island, not to have federal intervention that will limit the entrepreneurism and a lot of the fun.”
Before Gaetz and the Republican Conference eventually chose Rep. Johnson to be the 56th Speaker of the House, the Florida Republican and seven other members of Congress said that they were prepared to accept “censure, suspension, or removal from the Conference” in order to elect Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) as Speaker.
BREAKING: All 8 Republicans Who Voted to Remove McCarthy From Speakership Are Willing to Accept “Censure, Suspension, or Removal From the Conference” In Order to Elect @Jim_Jordan as Speaker
“If the holdouts who refuse to vote for Speaker-Designate Jim Jordan would be willing to… pic.twitter.com/FKBKrzgwvc
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) October 20, 2023
Those members alongside Gaetz included Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Ken Buck (R-CO), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Bob Good (R-VA), Nancy Mace (R-SC), and Matt Rosendale (R-MT).
