Matt Gaetz spars with Maria Bartiromo over Biden probes, looming government shutdown

Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz sparred with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday over the impeachment probe of President Joe Biden and the potential government shutdown.

Bartiromo said in her opening monologue on "Sunday Morning Futures" that Gaetz was disrupting "the Republican wins" by standing against stopgap funding measures. 

"If you’re saying that I’m standing in the way of all the Republican wins, I’d love you to enumerate them," Gaetz said.

In the interview, Bartiromo asked Gaetz whether he was "indirectly working with Democrats" by allowing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to create a stopgap funding resolution. 

Bartiromo also told Gaetz that because he is not supporting House Republicans' temporary government funding measures, "That's why some people feel this is a personal vendetta you have against the Speaker."

Traditionally, the House moves first on spending bills, but senators are now working to keep the government funded because House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has not been able to secure 218 votes to move forward with a temporary funding measure. Without any action, the government is set to shut down on Oct. 1. 

"My vendetta is against a Washington system that allows corruption to put the interests of lobbyists and PACs above the interests of the American people," Gaetz responded to Bartiromo. "Kevin McCarthy facilitates that system, and I do deeply resent that, but I'm not working with Chuck Schumer or any other Democrat. I am the one working with House conservatives."

Bartiromo also argued that Gaetz's actions would harm the investigation into Biden. 

"Tell me why you are threatening Speaker McCarthy and trying to shut down this government at a time that the Republicans have finally gotten some upper hands here in terms of wins, able to investigate President Biden on what looks like bribery," she said. 

"We don’t put our pencils down in the investigation of President Biden during a shutdown," Gaetz responded. "So the premise is false. Second, if Kevin McCarthy was actually serious about pursuing the Bidens, he would have sent Hunter Biden a subpoena by now. That’s how, you know, this is sort of failure theater that you’re observing."

Gaetz has butted heads with McCarthy since Republicans entered the House majority earlier this year. He had opposed McCarthy's bid to be House Speaker until finally voting "present" in the 15th and final round. By February, Gaetz said he would give McCarthy an "'A' for his work so far," but earlier this month the Florida Republican threatened to move forward with a bid to remove McCarthy from the House leadership position.

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