U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz says ‘it’s a mixed bag’ regarding House Speaker Mike Johnson

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz in the Capitol in Tallahassee on March 4, 2024 (photo credit: Mitch Perry)

Quality Journalism for Critical Times

Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz is offering what can only be described as qualified support for U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, the Louisiana Republican who succeeded Kevin McCarthy last year due in large part due to Gaetz’ maneuvers to oust the former speaker.

“Look, I want to get the very best version of Mike Johnson,” Gaetz told the Phoenix while socializing on the 4^th floor rotunda in the state Capitol with lawmakers and lobbyists on Monday.

“And I’m grateful that in the budget process before us, we have bills that don’t jam every single subject together. We’re getting more individualized reviews of these different funding bills, but at the same time, the spending levels are too high, and the policy wins are not sufficient for the amount of Republican control that I think that we should try to exert.”

“So it’s a mixed bag,” he concluded.

Gaetz led the push to remove McCarthy from the speaker’s office last October, charging that he was caving in to Democrats on a spending deal.

Gaetz is frequently listed as among the Republicans who could be considering a run for governor in Florida in 2026, after Gov. Ron DeSantis is term-limited out of office. But he wrote on X last month that he had “no plans to run for governor,” and said on Monday that he’s focused for now in trying to be the best congressman he can for the people in Florida.

Gaetz is an attorney who represents the First Congressional District — the Panhandle area in Florida.

“I think I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing in Washington right now,” Gaetz said in the state Capitol on Monday. “That work is very important and I’m very focused on it.”

Gaetz has said in the past that he does not support providing any more funding for Ukraine’s military efforts in defending their homeland vs. Russia.

“I pray every day that we don’t have some sort of escalatory accident,” he said on Monday.

Meanwhile, the U.S. House Ethics Committee is investigating Gaetz for alleged sex crimes, according to ABC News. That committee began that investigation in 2021. The Department of Justice reportedly dropped its investigation against Gaetz over the same allegations a year ago, according to The New York Times.

The post U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz says ‘it’s a mixed bag’ regarding House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared first on Florida Phoenix.