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As it happenedended

Gaetz tries to push out McCarthy after deal averts shutdown

Follow the latest updates as spending bill is signed by Joe Biden, temporarily preventing shutdown

Gustaf Kilander
Washington, DC
Monday 02 October 2023 15:10 BST
Comments
House votes to fund government for further 45 days

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Matt Gaetz will offer a motion to vacate the chair in an attempt to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the far-right Florida Republican told CNN on Sunday morning.

This comes after MAGA Republicans were outraged by Mr McCarthy striking a deal with Democrats on Saturday to avert a government shutdown.

“I do intend to file a motion to vacate against Speaker McCarthy this week. I think we need to rip off the band-aid. I think we need to move on with new leadership that can be trustworthy,” Mr Gaetz told CNN.

Meanwhile, House Republicans seem eager to exact revenge against Mr Gaetz.

News outlets reported on Sunday that Republicans in the lower chamber are looking towards the conclusion of a House Ethics Committee probe into the Republican congressman from Florida in the hopes that the probe’s findings could warrant (or excuse) his expulsion from the chamber.

Donald Trump called for Rep Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) to be put in jail for pulling a fire alarm in the US Capitol complex on Saturday.

The former president bizarrely claimed that Mr Bowman’s behaviour was worse than that of the rioters who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

VIDEO: Democrats chants ‘keep your word’ at Republicans

Gustaf Kilander30 September 2023 18:24

‘We do have a deadline’

Eric Garcia30 September 2023 18:26

What Dianne Feinstein’s death means for control of the Senate and the looming government shutdown

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death creates a vacancy in the Senate at a time when her Democrats hold the slightest majority in the chamber.

Feinstein, a centrist Democrat who had represented California since 1992, had medical struggles in recent months that already had prompted questions about whether she’d resign and who might replace her.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to pick a replacement soon. An election to pick the state’s next senator serving a full six-year term is scheduled for next year.

Here’s a look at what Feinstein’s death means for the Senate at a critical time on Capitol Hill:

Michelle L. Price30 September 2023 18:27

On the brink of a government shutdown, the Senate tries to approve funding but it’s almost too late

The U.S. is on the brink of a federal government shutdown after hard-right Republicans in Congress rejected a longshot effort to keep offices open as they fight for steep spending cuts and strict border security measures that Democrats and the White House say are too extreme.

Come midnight Saturday with no deal in place, federal workers will face furloughs, more than 2 million active duty and reserve military troops will work without pay and programs and services that Americans rely on from coast to coast will begin to face shutdown disruptions.

The Senate will be in for a rare Saturday session to advance its own bipartisan package that is supported by Democrats and Republicans and would fund the government for the short-term, through Nov. 17.

But even if the Senate can rush to wrap up its work this weekend to pass the bill, which also includes money for Ukraine aid and U.S. disaster assistance, it won’t prevent an almost certain shutdown amid the chaos in the House. On Friday, a massive hard-right revolt left Speaker Kevin McCarthy‘s latest plan to collapse.

“Congress has only one option to avoid a shutdown — bipartisanship,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves30 September 2023 18:28

‘This 45-day CR is not does not liberate us from our nation’s financial challenges,’ Gaetz says

Matt Gaetz told reporters on Saturday that “our plan is to continue to build support for our single subject spending bills”.

“And this 45-day CR is not does not liberate us from our nation's financial challenges – [we] remain $33tn in debt. We're facing $2.2tn annual deficits. You know, right now, literally our government is trying to figure out how much more we want to deficit spend so that we could send money to Ukraine. And that is crazy to me,” he added.

“You know, we did see at our conference meeting last night a calendar for the first time where the leadership laid out how they wanted to take up single-subject spending bills, but they're only doing that with a political gun to their head. They're only doing that because we're forcing them and, you know, if we can use our leverage to get the House to take these things up ... I think that's probably good,” the Floridian said.

John Bowden and Gustaf Kilander30 September 2023 18:36

Jeffries slams GOP for dropping legislation at ‘11th hour'

Gustaf Kilander30 September 2023 18:38

Jeffries brings up abortion as he slams Republicans for threatening shutdown

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said during his magic minute speech on Saturday that “we want the American people to understand that on this side of the aisle, we don’t believe that our colleagues on the Republican side should threaten a government shutdown as part of their effort to criminalize abortion care”.

Gustaf Kilander30 September 2023 18:43

McConnell says Republicans will reject advancement of bipartisan CR

Gustaf Kilander30 September 2023 18:59

In resurfaced clip, McCarthy speaks about having sandwich named after him

Gustaf Kilander30 September 2023 19:00

Top McCarthy ally says GOP open to address ‘legitimate concerns’ from Democrats

Gustaf Kilander30 September 2023 19:05

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