Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is on a mission to “reshape” the House of Representatives, molding the Republican Party into a more conservative and populist representative of the American people.
“I’m trying to reshape the House in my image,” he unabashedly told the Wall Street Journal in an interview, asserting that Republicans should seek to “end the wars, shut the border, reduce the spending,” while calling for those who are fighters to stand up.
He made the comments while announcing his re-election bid in his hometown of Fort Walton Beach, FL. It comes eight months after Gaetz turned the Republican Party on its head resulting in Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) being booted as speaker. Since then, there has been an exodus of so-called “moderate” Republicans from the House.
“There’s a certain echelon of members for whom if the cocktail parties aren’t super convenient because we’re voting all night, (as I’ve caused a time or two), if the PAC donations aren’t running over the gunnels because we’ve taken a populist position on immigration or another important matter to our voters, then some don’t see the value proposition in Congress,” Gaetz remarked to the Washington Examiner in an interview last January. “I’m quite alright with that.”
This is good news!
Hopefully Matt Gaetz can teach some of these Republicans how to have a backbone and be courageous!
Matt Gaetz Hits the Road to Reshape the Republican Party – WSJ https://t.co/pQxNzhACAX
— Dr. Know (@BizDrUS) June 24, 2024
A staunch Trump supporter, Gaetz is a powerful voice within the GOP according to the WSJ, “Gaetz wields a heady amount of influence for a lawmaker who isn’t in leadership or helming a major committee. Though some of his colleagues groaned when asked about him, he has become a leader in the fight over the GOP’s future and says he is only getting started.”
“Gaetz has fought his battles both in Washington and across the country. He has jumped into 2024 primary races to try to mold the next class of conservatives and is working to defend the seven Republicans who joined him in toppling the speaker and others facing tough races. He faces his own primary challenge as well, while also being investigated by the House Ethics Committee,” the media outlet continued.
The Florida firebrand has championed a whole host of conservative issues, ruffling feathers as he does so.
“Gaetz has been a hawk on issues like closing the Southern border, the budget, and sending foreign aid packages, as well as blasting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and calling to abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, among other things,” the Washington Examiner noted.
It’s not enough just for us to win. The lobbyists and special interests who have hurt our nation MUST LOSE!
Here are three simple ideas to fix Congress
1. Make donations from lobbyists and PACs illegal to people running for federal office
2. Have a lifetime ban on members… pic.twitter.com/dxtJ4CxMRx
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) June 17, 2024
“He has worked with Democrats as well, trying to reign in the lobbyist revolving door in the nation’s capital and stock trading by legislators, as well as working with left-wing Squad member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act,” the outlet added.
The WSJ pointed out that Gaetz does not take any money from political action committees or lobbyists — Federal Election Commission records show he has raised $4.6 million this year, with $2 million in the bank. Gaetz has also stood with a number of Republicans in primary battles across the nation.
“I think people give me grace for disagreement because they know I’m not full of s***, and with so many politicians, you can’t say that,” Gaetz told the WSJ.
On August 20, Gaetz will face off with his primary challenger, Aaron Dimmock, who has ties to McCarthy. He claims millions of dollars are being spent to unseat him. That may be a challenge as Gaetz has “consistently won overwhelming victories both in primary and general elections in Florida’s 1st Congressional District,” according to the Washington Examiner.
Why does DEI Dimmock support this? https://t.co/503Mo0zCVm pic.twitter.com/3B49krg8AV
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) June 23, 2024
While running for re-election, Gaetz is focused on getting former President Trump re-elected as well. That explains why the attacks against Gaetz are ramping up once again. He is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee concerning sexual misconduct and drug use, both of which the congressmen adamantly denies.
The House Ethics Committee has closed four probes into me, which emerged from lies intended solely to smear me. Instead of working with me to ban Congressional stock trading, the Ethics Committee is now opening new frivolous investigations. They are doing this to avoid the…
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) June 17, 2024
“The House Ethics Committee has closed four probes into me, which emerged from lies intended solely to smear me. Instead of working with me to ban Congressional stock trading, the Ethics Committee is now opening new frivolous investigations,” Gaetz posted on X. “They are doing this to avoid the obvious fact that every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration.”
“This is Soviet. Kevin McCarthy showed them the man, and they are now trying to find the crime,” he asserted. “I work for Northwest Floridians who won’t be swayed by this nonsense and McCarthy and his goons know it.”
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) June 21, 2024
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Terresa Monroe-Hamilton
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://www.bizpacreview.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.