Gaetz on Speaker vote: ‘Long live Speaker Scalise’

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) celebrated the House GOP’s nomination of Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) for Speaker on Wednesday.

“I’m excited for him,” Gaetz told reporters. “I can’t wait to go vote for Steve Scalise. Long live Speaker Scalise.”

Gaetz previously said he would be pleased with either Scalise or House Judicial Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as the nominee for Speaker. However, he didn’t officially endorse either contender.

“I want to hear both of their specific plans on spending and on single-subject appropriations bills,” Gaetz said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” 

He said both would be a “monumental upgrade” over former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was ousted from the position in a historic vote — led by Gaetz — last week. Eight Republicans and all of the Democrats voted 216-210 to vacate the Speakership.

McCarthy, after he was removed from his leadership role, hit back at Gaetz during a press conference.

“You all know Matt Gaetz,” McCarthy said. “You know it was personal.”

“It had nothing to do about spending, it had nothing to do about everything he accused somebody of he was doing,” he added at the time. “It all was about getting attention from you.”

Scalise clinched the nomination in a 113-99 vote behind closed doors Wednesday, narrowly defeating Jordan.

“I’ve got a long history of bringing people together, uniting Republicans, focusing on the issues that we’ve got to do to address the issues we came here to do to get our country back on track,” Scalise said Tuesday. 

Scalise now takes his candidacy to the House floor against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who Democrats nominated for Speaker on Tuesday night.