Topline
Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc., called Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., “tubby” in a tense exchange on the House floor Thursday that reportedly divulged into a screaming match over the future of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s job—the latest display of Republican divisions inflamed in recent days by the foreign aid package Johnson is seeking to pass as soon as this weekend.
Key Facts
Van Orden told Axios he called Gaetz “tubby” after the Florida congressman referred to Van Orden as a “squish,” a term popularized by right-wing Republicans in the 1990s to refer to moderates who sometimes vote with Democrats.
“Anybody who has not been in combat and held his friend’s hand as they died [after being] shot by the enemy really doesn’t have any business calling someone else a squish,” Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL, explained to Axios.
Gaetz, speaking to reporters after the exchange, accused Van Orden of “insisting” and “demanding . . . in kind of an unhinged way” that House members bring a “motion to vacate” against Johnson to kickstart the process of removing him as speaker, adding that Van Orden “is not a particularly intelligent individual.”
Van Orden joins Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Tom Massie, R-Ky., in supporting the effort to oust Johnson over resistance to the legislative package that would deliver aid to Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel.
Gaetz said he does not support a motion to vacate—as of now—but indicated he and Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., could change their positions if Johnson pursues a change to the rules governing the motion to vacate by requiring more than one member to back such a measure, as some Republicans are reportedly urging him to do to avoid a repeat of the turmoil surrounding the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in October.
Johnson has not indicated whether he supports the rule change, Gaetz said.
Surprising Fact
NBC News initially reported that Van Orden directed the “tubby” insult at Johnson.
Key Background
Johnson refused calls from Greene and Massie to resign earlier this week after he unveiled the foreign aid packages, calling their threat to bring the motion to vacate against him “absurd.” Greene initially introduced the motion to vacate after Johnson pushed the fiscal year 2024 budget through the House in March with the help of Democrats, but she did not introduce the resolution as “privileged,” meaning there is no timeline for voting on the measure. Multiple Democrats have suggested they would vote alongside Republicans to save Johnson from an ouster.
What To Watch For
The foreign aid package, a set of five separate bills, is set to be voted on as early as Saturday. It would split $95.3 billion in aid between Israel ($26 billion), Ukraine ($61 billion) and the U.S.’s Indo-Pacific partners, including Taiwan ($8 billion). The funding levels match the foreign aid package passed by the Senate, which the House refused to take up without border security measures attached, though the House legislation structures part of the Ukraine funding as loans, in line with former President Donald Trump’s suggestions. In addition to the three separate foreign aid bills, Johnson is also aiming to pass two separate pieces of legislation: a border security bill and another that would implement various GOP-backed policies, including new sanctions on Russia, China and Iran and potentially force a TikTok ban.
Further Reading
Why Mike Johnson Could Survive Removal Effort—As He Rejects Resignation Calls Over Ukraine, Israel Aid (Forbes)
Marjorie Taylor Green Files Motion To Oust Speaker Mike Johnson Over Funding Bill (Forbes)
Mike Johnson Wins House Speaker Election—Ending Historic Three-Week GOP Impasse (Forbes)
