Some bad blood may still be lingering between Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia over the prolonged House speaker battle that delayed the nomination of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
The lawmakers traded barbs during a back-and-forth on Twitter after Greene appeared to reject praise from her colleague for getting committee assignments back after she was stripped of them from the Democratic-controlled Congress in 2021.
Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., are seen on the House floor during a vote in which House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., did not receive enough votes to become speaker on Jan. 5, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“Bravo @mtgreenee! She’s going to do amazing work for the people on those key committees she has EARNED,” Gaetz tweeted Wednesday. He quoted a line from a blog post that read: “Rep. MTG of Georgia is back on committee assignments now that Republicans have taken the House and the Rep. Gaetz-led revolt has put some steel in McCarthy’s spine.”
Greene replied to the tweet by praising McCarthy and the House Republican Steering Committee “for voting me on the committees I requested on the submission form most of us filled out.”
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She then slammed Gaetz for delaying the House speaker vote earlier this month. Gaetz was among 20 House Republicans who repeatedly refused to nominate McCarthy for House speaker. He ultimately won and assumed the role after the 15th ballot and four days of voting.
“Too bad we’re weeks behind after you spent a week only getting MTV from 5 to 1,” Greene told Gaetz on Twitter, referring to McCarthy’s concession to lower the threshold required for a “motion to vacate” the chair — a parliamentary gambit that forces a vote on retaining the speaker.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., conducts a news conference in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had pushed through a rule change requiring that only a member of the House leadership can offer a motion to vacate.
Greene declared herself a “leading MAGA voice in Congress,” adding that she looks forward to her new committee assignments.
Gaetz shot back that Republicans had gotten other concessions but said he was “thrilled the [motion to vacate] is back to the pre-Pelosi standard. Totally worth it!”
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“We the People will be in better hands with MTG holding the corrupt Biden Admin accountable via committee service,” he said. “I’m so here for it.”
Greene fired back at Gaetz, noting that the “rules package did not change at all from Jan 1st to Jan 6th, except MTV went from 5 to 1. Literally anyone can read them online and see that. All substantial negotiations happened in conference & 5 families meetings before the 15 ballots starting on Jan 3rd.”
McCarthy ultimately won the speaker’s gavel after making concessions to Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus, including assignments on key committee spots.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., left, talks to Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., after Gaetz voted “present” in the House chamber as the House meets for the fourth day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Gaetz said: I am a huge supporter of MTG. She is a dynamic and inspirational leader in our movement.”
Green’s office declined to comment.
Fox News confirmed McCarthy placed House Freedom Caucus holdout Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.; Scott Perry, R-Pa.; Byron Donalds, R-Fla.; and freshman Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., on the Oversight Committee.
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In addition, Gaetz; Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.; and Chip Roy, R-Texas, will all continue serving on the Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
Fox News’ Kelly Laco and Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.