GAETZ’S ROAD TO A MAJORITY

Nineteenth-century U.S. Sen. Henry Clay of Kentucky once said he’d “rather be right than [be] president.”

And the three-time Whig candidate, who wanted slavery ended but could not support the abolition movement, never was.

We see that attitude today in the likes of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, who said he wants to oust Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-California, from his leadership post because he worked with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown.

He believes the speaker breached his agreement on spending limits with the most conservative members of the Republican caucus from when he won his speakership in January.

Gaetz said Saturday he would file a motion to vacate [the speaker’s post] this week, a potentiality that McCarthy agreed to in a protracted battle to win his seat.

Undaunted, McCarthy said Sunday to “bring it on” and wagered that “I’ll survive.”

Gaetz and other far right Republicans, though 100% correct to be concerned about the profligate spending of the Biden administration in previous budgets and the current one being debated, don’t have the votes to make stick all of the cuts they’d like. After all, Democrats have a tiny majority in the U.S. Senate, and the president has veto power over bills he doesn’t like.

But the Florida Republican congressman would rather furlough the government long enough that the Senate and Biden would come around to his side. It’s not a realistic stance, and the left-siding national media — as with every previous occasion of a full or partial government shutdown — will make sure their readers and viewers know Republicans are to blame.

The key to getting the cuts Gaetz and others want, and the country needs, is winning elections in 2024. The GOP holds a nine-seat majority, meaning a five-vote swing could change a win to a loss or vice-versa. If Republicans campaigned on the bloated budget, the porous border and the inflation that has made workers lose ground since Biden became president, they might have a majority big enough — along with a Republican Senate and Republican president — to score some of those cuts.

However, just as with Gaetz, too many Republican voters want to be like Clay — they’d rather vote for former president and almost sure loser Donald Trump in 2024 than win the White House. And without a Republican Senate or White House, and House if the majority shifts just slightly, the party won’t have to worry about the budget. The GOP will be outside looking in.

In the balloting Saturday, in which McCarthy’s continuing resolution to fund the government until mid-November prevailed 335-91, six of Tennessee’s nine House members voted against it.

The only House members in the state to vote for it were U.S. Reps. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, Chuck Fleischmann, R-Ooltewah, and David Kustoff, R-Memphis.

Fleischmann, in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), said, “Government shutdowns always cost taxpayers more money and harm our country. That’s why I voted to keep the government open for 45 more days to give Congress time to continue passing conservative, fiscally responsible bills to fund the government.”

He also acknowledged the spending problem Democrats continue to have: “After two years of out-of-control and inflationary spending by President Biden and DC Democrats, the American People are demanding fiscal responsibility. We cannot continue the endless cycle of more spending and debt that is hurting the economy, devaluing our dollars, and burdening out children and grandchildren with an unpayable debt.”

Fleischmann, to his credit, has never been a fan of shutting down the government to achieve a specific end. Other than his first year in the House, 2011, when he was briefly rumored to be linked to a group in favor of a shutdown, he has been clear on his stance.

› In 2011, during a four-hour shift working at Hoskins Drug Store in Clinton during his “Chuck on the Job” initiative, he said, “No wants wants to shut down the government.”

› In 2013, Fleischmann voted to avert such a shutdown, surprising the party’s tea party wing, and asked that his pay be withheld during what was a 16-day shutdown.

› In 2018, he said, “I will never be favor of a government shutdown.”

Fleischmann made similar statements in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

› Earlier this year, he told WTVC, “I have always opposed government shutdowns. I have served through three of them. These are not good times for America … .”

On Monday, Gaetz did not move forward on his attempt to oust McCarthy and acknowledged the speaker likely could survive a first vote to oust him. But he said in future votes McCarthy would have to rely more and more on Democrats to save him and that would weaken him in GOP eyes.

Such a move by Gaetz may or may not remove the speaker, but it will make voters believe Republicans are unable to govern, will give Democrats a leg up in 2024 and will not result in the cuts the right wing of the party is demanding.

But Gaetz may be able to take credit for a Democratic White House, Senate and House after the 2024 election.