Tensions among House Republicans are getting so high that Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) reportedly called Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) … “tubby.”
At issue is House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) plans to hold individual votes this weekend to approve foreign aid assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, as well as a bill to give ByteDance more time to divest its control of social media app TikTok. The bills, which are similar to a bipartisan foreign aid package that the Senate approved earlier this year, would then be packaged to the Senate.
The move has drawn the ire of House Freedom Caucus members, who issued a statement Thursday saying they will not vote for the bills. Far-right Republicans have been opposed to sending more aid to Ukraine — instead calling for passing measures to tighten the U.S.-Mexico border — and threatening to invoke the motion to vacate Johnson as the Speaker if he goes through with his plans.
The drama reached a pitch Thursday morning, when Freedom Caucus members warned that they would do everything in their power to oppose the measures and cost the Speaker his job: According to published reports, Van Orden at one point egged on Freedom Caucus members to try and give Johnson the boot, calling Gaetz, a Freedom Caucus member, “tubby.” Gaetz’s spokesperson said he responded to the comment by asking Van Orden if he had an I.Q. over 40.
Johnson’s push to pass the foreign aid bills this weekend — which would require Democratic votes — is also complicated because he can afford to lose only two votes, if every member is present. And that margin is set to drop to one when Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) resigns this weekend.
