Moderate Republican says he’d vote to remove 8 colleagues from GOP conference who supported McCarthy ouster

Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) said in a Wednesday interview that he would support a theoretical vote to remove from the GOP conference the eight colleagues who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in the historic Tuesday vote.

“If it was up to me, I’d vote for it,” Joyce said in an interview on CNN’s “Inside Politics.”

“It’s a waste of time having conversations with these people,” he added. “And I think we need to start working and, going forward, as a unified group.”

Joyce, who chairs the moderate caucus known as the Republican Governance Group, criticized his Republican colleagues for participating in conference meetings and then voting against the group’s agenda. 

“I don’t see how they can really be part of a conference when … they come on the inside, listen to what’s going on, and go outside and lob bombs in the middle,” Joyce said in the interview. 

Joyce’s comments come the day after the House voted for the first time to remove the Speaker of the House. The vote was brought to the floor by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), but seven other Republican members joined Gaetz and every Democratic member to remove McCarthy from his post in a 216-210 vote. 

Joyce said he supported “ground-up” decisions, so he was happy the GOP conference decided to return next week to try and elect the next speaker, rather than proceeding with another vote immediately. 

“I think it’s important that everybody have an opportunity to take in what’s happening and then make a collective decision when we get back,” Joyce said.  

The job of Speaker, second in line in the presidential succession, is now vacant, with Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) serving in the interim position of Speaker pro tempore. 

The seven Republicans who joined Gaetz to oust McCarthy are Reps. Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Ken Buck (Colo.), Tim Burchett (Tenn.), Eli Crane (Ariz.), Bob Good (Va.), Nancy Mace (S.C.) and Matt Rosendale (Mont.).