Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., told Newsmax on Tuesday the chaos Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., created in ousting Speaker Kevin McCarthy is "idiotic" and said claims Gaetz and seven other Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy are invalid.
"Mind you, 70% of discretionary spending, those appropriations have passed already, and we were well on our way of passing the other bills to make all 12 appropriations and have them done before this continuing resolution ran out," Gimenez, a McCarthy supporter, told "Rob Schmitt Tonight." "But now that we have this chaos caused by Mr. Gaetz and his gang, we may miss that deadline because we can't get our work done."
Gaetz was among Republicans who were upset that McCarthy, R-Calif., relied on Democrat votes Saturday to approve the continuing resolution to keep the government running until Nov. 17. Some would have preferred a government shutdown as they seek deeper spending cuts.
"We had already passed the appropriation bills for defense and other items that took 70% of the appropriations that are in discretionary in nature," Gimenez said. "Now, the other 30% we had to do in the next 45 days, that's what has been stalled.
"And it's been stalled by Mr. Gaetz. So, this whole thing that somehow, you know, this by creating chaos, he's actually going to solve a problem. It's idiotic, to be honest with you."
Gimenez said Gaetz and his cohorts are promising things that they can't deliver.
"I'm a Reagan Republican. That's the greatest president of my lifetime, and Reagan said, if you can get 75% of what you want, take it," Gimenez said. "Gaetz and this other gang, they're not Reagan Republicans. So, in my eyes, they're not Republican at all.
"They want 100% of something that they can never get, so you have to be realistic. And if you actually get 100% of what they want, that means all of our vulnerable representatives in those vulnerable districts are going to be Democrat next election. We're going to lose the majority. Then guess what? Matt Gaetz and his gang are gonna get zero of what they want. I'll take 75, 80% over zero any day."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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