[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 12, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H4235-H4236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SPEAKER McCARTHY MUST KEEP HIS WORD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Gaetz) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GAETZ. Madam Speaker, on this very floor in January, the whole 
world witnessed a historic contest for House Speaker.
  I rise today to serve notice: Mr. Speaker, you are out of compliance 
with the agreement that allowed you to assume this role. The path 
forward for the House of Representatives is to either bring you into 
immediate, total compliance or remove you pursuant to a motion to 
vacate the chair.
  We have had no vote on term limits or on balanced budgets, as the 
agreement demanded and required. There has been no full release of the 
January 6 tapes, as you promised. There has been insufficient 
accountability for the Biden crime family. Instead of cutting spending 
to raise the debt limit, you relied on budgetary gimmicks and 
rescissions so that you ultimately ended up serving as the valet to 
underwrite Biden's debt and expand his spending agenda.
  Mr. Speaker, you boasted in January that we would use the power of 
the subpoena and the power of the purse, but here we are 8 months 
later, and we haven't even sent the first subpoena to Hunter Biden. 
That is how you know that the rushed and somewhat rattled performance 
you just saw from the Speaker isn't real.

  At this point during Democrat control over the House of 
Representatives, they had already brought in Don Jr. three times, and 
we haven't even sent the first subpoena to Hunter Biden. Power of the 
subpoena.
  Power of the purse. The only thing the 118th Congress is known for at 
this point is electing Kevin McCarthy Speaker and underwriting Biden's 
debt. Unfortunately, there is only one of those things we can remediate 
at this time. Power of the purse.
  Our leadership right now is asking us to vote for a continuing 
resolution. A vote for a continuing resolution is a vote to continue 
the Green New Deal and inflationary spending. In the most troubling of 
fashions, a vote for a continuing resolution is a vote to continue the 
election interference of Jack Smith.
  Mr. Speaker, we told you how to use the power of the purse: 
individual, single-subject spending bills that would allow us to have 
specific review, programmatic analysis, and that would allow us to zero 
out the salaries of the bureaucrats who have broken bad, targeted 
President Trump, or cut sweetheart deals for Hunter Biden.
  September 30 is rapidly approaching, and you have not put us in a 
position to succeed. There is no way to pass all the individual 
appropriations bills now, and it is not like we didn't know when 
September 30 was going to show up on the calendar. I must be better, 
you must be better, and this House must be better, for it is the last 
best hope for tens of millions of Republicans.
  We demand real oversight against this weaponized government. Just 
look at the bribery. If tens of millions of dollars flowing from 
foreign corrupt people into the bank accounts of the Biden family 
wasn't enough for actual impeachment, why were we even looking? Joe 
Biden deserves impeachment for converting the Vice-Presidency into an 
ATM machine for virtually his entire family. We all see it. We all know 
it.
  Moments ago, Speaker McCarthy endorsed an impeachment inquiry. This 
is a baby step following weeks of pressure from House conservatives to 
do more. We must move faster.
  Now, I will concede that the votes I have called for will likely 
fail--term limits, balanced budgets, maybe even impeachment. I am 
prepared for that eventuality. At least if we take votes, the American 
people get to see who is fighting for them and who is willing to 
tolerate more corruption and business as usual.
  Mr. Speaker, dust off our written January agreement. You have a copy. 
Reflect on the spirit of that agreement and build on the start that we 
had moments ago and begin to comply:
  No continuing resolutions; individual spending bills or bust.
  Votes on balanced budgets and term limits.

[[Page H4236]]

  Subpoenas for Hunter Biden and the members of the Biden family who 
have been grifting off this country and the impeachment for Joe Biden 
that he so richly deserves.
  Do these things or face a motion to vacate the chair.
  Let me alert the country, a motion to vacate might not pass at first, 
but it might before the 15th vote. If Democrats bail out McCarthy, as 
they may do, then I will lead the resistance to this uniparty and the 
Biden-McCarthy-Jeffries government that they are attempting to build.
  I know that Washington isn't a town where people are known for 
keeping their word. Well, Speaker McCarthy, I am here to hold you to 
yours.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. De La Cruz). Members are reminded to 
direct their remarks to the Chair and not to a perceived viewing 
audience.
  Members are further reminded not to engage in personalities toward 
the President.

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