Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) painted a far more positive image than most have about the drama that played out this week as Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) failed for days to become speaker of the House.
Burchett saw the most intense drama to stem from the speaker debate up close, recounting to CNN’s Jim Acosta his experience sitting next to McCarthy opponent Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) when Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) lunged at him, needing to be held back.
During a Saturday interview, Acosta noted much of the drama to play out before cameras and asked if it was a bad look for the Republican Party.
“You’re not worried, congressman, that this looks like your party is not ready for primetime?” Acosta asked.
Though the congressman saw one lawmaker very obviously lose his cool, Burchett touted the fact that he had more meaningful debate and interactions with his colleagues in the course of the days of the McCarthy drama than he has in years.
Burchett even described chumming it up with his “friends” in the “squad,” like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), as well as having positive exchanges with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Burchett told Acosta:
“I had more debate this week in Congress, more meaningful debate, more intermingling — I would go over and talk on the Democrat side. I talked to my friends in the squad, AOC and [Ilhan] Omar and all of
them. Speaker Pelosi came down and sat beside me and checked on my daughter who got hurt in a horse accident because she has a granddaughter named Isabela, and my daughter’s name is Isabel. And she asked me about my wife Kelly. It gave us time to interact. We actually interacted more this week than in the last four years. And if anything, I think that relationship building is where it’s at.”
Burchett insisted some of the “barriers” between congressional members “dissolved” through the course of the week.
As for the McCarthy drama, Burchett admitted the show was “ugly,” but insisted the party and House will be in a positive place going forward thanks to the concessions negotiated by McCarthy to gain key support.
“Democracy’s not a pretty thing sometimes. It’s ugly. Sometimes it’s just a known down, drag out. Maybe that’s what we need to get to where we’re at,” the congressman said. “I think the country’s going to be well-served, I honestly do.”
Watch above via CNN.