Gaetz demands to know why McCarthy is occupying Speaker's Office without being elected

Gaetz asked how long McCarthy will remain in the speaker's office until he is "considered a squatter."

Published: January 4, 2023 7:34am

Updated: January 4, 2023 10:31am

GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz is demanding to know why fellow Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy is occupying the Speaker of the House Office when he's yet to be elected to the post.

"How long will he remain there before he is considered a squatter?" Gaetz asked about McCarthy in a letter Tuesday to Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, who oversees Capitol building operations.

Gaetz, of Florida, who nominated Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan for speaker, said that "it seems Mr. McCarthy can no longer be considered Speaker-Designate following today's balloting."

McCarthy lost three elections for speaker Tuesday. In the final vote, 20 Republicans defected from the party to support Jordan. McCarthy is the first speaker candidate to lose his party's vote in 100 years. Voting will continue Wednesday.

Gaetz said Tuesday that he and other anti-McCarthy Republicans were "threatened" that if they did not support the California Republican's bid for speaker, they would be "removed from committees."