Rep. Tim Burchett, one of the eight Republicans who voted Tuesday to oust now-former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, told Newsmax that he had two things on his mind: "Was I going to keep my friend Kevin McCarthy or was I going to go with my conscience?"
The national debt, the Tennessee Republican told Newsmax's "Wake Up America," led to his decision against the California Republican.
"We added a trillion dollars to our national debt in three months," Burchett said. "It's unconscionable. We're out the entire month of August, two weeks into September. Our fiscal year ends on Sept. 30 and then we're supposed to come on and resolve all this."
Further, House Republicans have a Budget Committee, and even a budget, said Burchett, pointing out that Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, was given about 10 minutes to present his budget, but "nobody paid any attention to it."
And the decision came down to "a friend or my conscience," the congressman said. "I prayed about it. I went with my conscience."
McCarthy said Tuesday he spoke with Burchett about a comment he'd made that he would pray on the decision on the vote, and the Tennessee congressman said that even though he considers the former speaker his friend, "It was a condescending comment he made about [how] I was praying for it."
He also said he asked McCarthy about the timing on a term limits bill, and "it was excuse after excuse after excuse; and really, I think the prayer comment to me was just kind of the tipping point in my mind, so I made that decision."
However, he said he doesn't hold any ill will toward McCarthy, but he still thinks "we needed a new change in leadership."
"We've got to make some tough decisions because this taking in $5 trillion a year and spending $7 trillion, and then we don't vote with the agriculture bill, which made some pretty big cuts and falls on the floor," said Burchett.
The other GOP lawmakers voting against McCarthy were Andy Biggs and Eli Crane of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Matt Rosendale of Montana.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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