- Congressman Kevin McCarthy became speaker of the House of Representatives on Saturday morning after conceding to far-right lawmakers.
- On CBS’ “Face The Nation,” Congresswoman Nancy Mays blasted Congressman Matt Goetz for taking advantage of the vote.
- She also denounced the “backroom” deals made by McCarthy to get the seat.
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Rep. Nancy Mays took aim at controversial Rep. Matt Goetz after a tumultuous week in the House that highlighted new divisions within the Republican Party.
“Matt Goetz is a fraud. Every time he voted against Kevin McCarthy last week, he sent out a fundraising email,” Mays, a Republican representing South Carolina, told host Margaret Brennan on CBS’ “Face The Nation” Sunday. “What you saw last week was a constitutional process diminished by this kind of political action.
In a message to supporters, Goetz accused incumbent McCarthy of “getting in the way of MAGA’s true majority” before asking for donations, FOX News reported.
In a similar fundraising ploy, an email to supporters read: “McCarthy and his allies used every trick in the book to silence me and crown the biggest alligator in the swamp as Speaker of the House.
Goetz, who was struck by Congressman Mike Rogers’ emotionally charged jab during the 14th House Speaker voting session, was one of 20 of his far-right colleagues who withheld their votes from McCarthy during a seemingly endless negotiation process.
On the 15th ballot, Goetz was one of six legislators who changed their votes to “present,” essentially allowing McCarthy to win without the full 218 votes in his favor as speaker.
“I ran out of things I could even imagine asking for,” Goetz told CNN after the 15th ballot. McCarthy won the presidency, but it is not yet clear how much power he has ceded to his ultraconservative Republicans.
“We don’t know what they got or didn’t get,” Mace told Brennan, decrying the “backroom” deals. “We haven’t seen it. We have no idea what promises were made or what gentlemen’s handshakes were made.”
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
She added: “And it really gives me quite a bit of heartburn because we haven’t worked with it. It’s quite ironic.”
Mace has represented South Carolina’s 1st District since 2021. Although she worked on his campaign, Mace criticized former President Donald Trump for his role in the January 6, 2021 uprising. However, she voted against impeaching the former president, arguing that that the process was “rushed”.
All eyes were on Mays during the third and fourth day of voting for Speaker, when she brought her dog Libby into the hall, saying there were “no rules at the moment”, reports The Independent.
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) January 5, 2023
House lawmakers are poised to vote on a package of rules that will set the stage for how the House will operate on Monday. Mays told Brennan she wasn’t sure whether or not she would support the rules package.
“I like the rule pack. This is the most open, fair and fiscally conservative package we have had in 30 years. I support him,” Mays added. “But what I do not support is a small number of people trying to make a deal or deals made for themselves privately, in secret, to get a vote or a vote present. I don’t support that.”
Representatives for Mace, Gaetz and McCarthy did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
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