‘Some Degree of a Shutdown’: Matt Gaetz Makes Clear His Endgame In Battle with McCarthy

Hardline Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) made clear on Tuesday in remarks to reporters that he is not backing down from his list of demands from Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and that as a result, “We will likely have to endure some degree of a shutdown.”

MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell led a discussion on this topic on Tuesday and began by playing a clip of McCarthy speaking to reporters.

“I don’t think it’s right that government shuts down. And that’s why I’m doing everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen,” McCarthy said in the clip as he noted he’s still working on a compromise.

As the conversation continued, Mitchell played another clip from Gaetz, who has been threatening to try and remove McCarthy as speaker. “And David Jolly is a former Republican congressman. Let me play for you what Matt Gaetz from Florida State you know very well and used to represent had to say about the prospects of a solution to this whole mess,” Mitchell said to introduce the clip.

“We can’t blame Joe Biden and the Democrats for why the Republican-controlled House of Representatives hasn’t passed single-subject spending bills. That’s our fault. So we have to deal with that. We will likely have to endure some degree of a shutdown,” Gaetz told reporters.

“Some degree of a shutdown,” Mitchell quoted Gaetz. “I mean, that’s saying you’re going to spend billions of dollars, get a downgrade from one of the ratings services, which is going to cost you more in paying interest on the debt in the future. So it’s coming out of everybody’s pocket. So is there is no such thing as a shutdown that doesn’t hurt?”

David Jolly replied, “No. In fact, one of Matt Gaetz’s, excuse me, Matt Gaetz’s colleagues just this morning said, unfortunately, some people have to get hurt before Congress will pass a budget.”

“And what is maddening, Andrea, is what they’re talking about. Passing is just a temporary budget, not the actual full budget that Congress is responsible for,” Jolly continued, adding:

I think right now House Republicans are standing in a circular firing squad and Kevin McCarthy is simply trying to survive it. Nothing they pass will pass the Senate, not just because Senate Democrats don’t want it, but Senate Republicans don’t want it. So House Republicans and Kevin McCarthy are ultimately, they’re postponing their loss to Senate Democrats and to Joe Biden on this measure. And then the question becomes, can Kevin McCarthy survive that loss.

Watch the full clip above via MSNBC.

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