One of the eight Republicans who voted to end Kevin McCarthy’s term as Speaker of the House told CBN News why he was a “yes” vote.
Virginia Republican Rep. Bob Good explained to Capitol Hill Correspondent Matt Galka his thoughts on McCarthy being unfit for the job.
Matt Galka: “Virginia Congressman Bob Good. It’s been a busy last 24 hours for you so we’ll jump right into it. You’ve had a chance to sleep on it, I would assume you’ve had a chance to sleep on it at least. After taking some time, having some perspective now, are you satisfied with everything about how the process played out yesterday to remove now former Speaker Kevin McCarthy?”
Rep. Bob Good (R-VA): “While it was a sad decision to have to vote to remove our speaker, (it) was not a difficult decision unfortunately because of the failures of leadership that have been demonstrated this year and culminating with what happened on Saturday with the continuing resolution. So it was with a heavy heart that I approached it and I disquieted spirit with the conflict that was ahead, however, I was thankful that we were able to prevail in what needed to be done for the country, for the good of the country.”
“And I’m encouraged by what has transpired since then. I am persuaded, convinced that we will emerge with a more unified conference because we will have to come together and vote in a new speaker with 218, hopefully, 221, hopefully, to be unanimous among Republicans… We want to choose a David, not a Saul, we wanna prayerfully, humbly approach this and vet these candidates and do the best we can for the American people. The country cannot afford us to do anything less and so I’m encouraged but, but again the real work is beginning now and we’re committed to that.”
Galka: “What was the deciding factor in your vote?”
Good: “Instead of passing our spending bills as he promised he would and keeping his commitment to cut back to pre-COVID spending for non-defense discretionary, he dillied, he dallied, he was a feckless leader and he couldn’t decide, he didn’t lead the conference. We didn’t pass those bills and yet then he responds with a continuing resolution on Saturday that Democrats vote 209 to 1 in the House and 51 to 0 in the Senate because it keeps in place all the Biden-Pelosi-Schumer policies that we’re suffering under that are destroying the country and that are bankrupting us from a fiscal standpoint. Why wouldn’t all Democrats vote for that? We don’t need a Republican Speaker or Republican Majority to do what Democrats want us to do, so we need change. The country can’t afford more the status quo.”
Galka: “Obviously we’re looking ahead now. Who’s the next speaker of the House?”
Good: “There’s about a half a dozen individuals who’ve raised their hand and it’s funny the media is hounding me saying ‘Oh, who’s it gonna be? Who’s gonna be the candidate?’ before we had the vote yesterday. And I told them, ‘Listen, no one of stature of influence that would be perceived as a credible chance to get to 218 is going to raise their hand and say I’m a candidate before Speaker McCarthy is removed because of retaliation, because of consequence, and because they would be perceived as being part of the sort of overthrow for lack of a better term.’ They needed to emerge organically after there was an opportunity for a true contest, a true competition, not a coronation like we’ve had in the past. But they will have to earn it now, and so you got a half a dozen or so who throw their hat in the ring. Two or three of those I think would be really quality candidates from my perspective.
Galka: “The names that are out there right now – Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan – could those gentlemen, could you support one of them? And the reason I ask that is because they are considered McCarthy allies and I’m just curious how does an emerging new candidate for Speaker of the House who might have been backing Kevin McCarthy, how does he get the votes after what we saw yesterday where there was a portion of the conference that didn’t want Kevin McCarthy in there. How do they support one of his allies?”
Good: “Well I again I will not comment on individual names one way or another at this point. I don’t think that would be wise for me to do. However, I think everybody is approaching this pragmatically and realizing there’s again, there’s going to be some compromise and give and take because it takes 218. And so it’s likely someone who was at least reasonably a supporter of Speaker McCarthy, at least publicly anyway. But I think it’ll be someone who is, going to require somebody who has widespread respect and stature and influence within the conference to get to that 218. It’s probably not going to be one of the eight individuals who voted to vacate the chair I would suggest.”
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