Crenshaw Blasts GOP Holdouts on House Speaker Vote: ‘Tell Us What You Actually Want or Shut the F*** Up’
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Representative Dan Crenshaw (R., Texas) on Wednesday slammed the 20 House Republicans who have opposed House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bid for the speakership.
“I’m tired of your stupid platitudes that some consultant told you to say on the campaign trail, alright. Behind closed doors tell us what you actually want, or shut the f*** up,” he said of the holdouts, according to the Washington Post’s Dylan Wells.
Crenshaw’s comments came after McCarthy failed to win the House speakership in a fourth vote. Representative Chip Roy (R., Texas) nominated Representative Byron Donalds (R., Fla.) during the fourth round of voting, pulling 20 much needed votes away from McCarthy. Representative Victoria Spartz (R., Ind.) voted “present,” moving away from her support of McCarthy in the previous ballots.
“They need to be men and adults and say what they want, instead of playing these little games, that’s what we’re asking. That’s what I’ve asked them. Some of them are my friends. Stop saying platitudes like, ‘Washington is broken. We can’t do the status quo,’” Crenshaw said.
“They need to be men and adults and say what they want, instead of playing these little games, that's what we're asking. That's what I've asked them. Some of them are my friends. Stop saying platitudes like, ‘Washington is broken. We can't do the status quo,’” Crenshaw said.
— Dylan Wells (@dylanewells) January 4, 2023
McCarthy previously offered several concessions on Sunday in an effort to persuade his critics.
“Just as the Speaker is elected by the whole body, we will restore the ability for any 5 members of the majority party to initiate a vote to remove the Speaker if so warranted,” McCarthy wrote in a letter addressed to House Republicans over the weekend.
He also offered to tighten up House proxy-voting procedures.
“Congress was never intended for Zoom, and no longer will members be able to phone it in while attending lavish international weddings or sailing on their boat. We will meet, gather and debate in person — just as the founders envisioned,” McCarthy said.
Representative-elect Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, one of the 20 holdouts, said “to obtain my support for Speaker, transformative rule changes that stop out of control spending and address our debt loading must occur.”
He added: “Today, zero percent of major bills can be amended on the floor absent permission from nine majority party members of the rules committee picked by the Speaker. I’m asking for change to be able to legislate — not just vote up or down — as the second Congressional district deserves their voice to be heard.”
Crenshaw reportedly said the holdouts are “continuing to show themselves to be unbelievably unserious.”
“Now they’re just choosing random people. They don’t have a plan,” Crenshaw said. “It’s almost like they want to make the point that they don’t have a plan.”
Defectors voted for Representatives Andy Biggs (R., Ariz.), Jim Jordan (R., Ohio), Byron Donalds (R., Fla.) and former Representative Lee Zeldin on the first ballot. Roy nominated Jordan on the third ballot, despite Jordan having nominated McCarthy before the second round of voting.
“They have zero ability to articulate what they want that would cause them to vote yes. It is utterly confusing, and then they get mad at us for criticizing, it’s actually quite hilarious the self victimization that occurs,” Crenshaw said.
“I can hold out forever,” he added. “McCarthy would have to resign from Congress, then I’ll consider an alternative — but I’ll tell you what, whoever that 20 wants, I will never vote for that person. I do not care who it is. They want to play this game, we’ll play the game.”
