North Texas members of Congress discuss Speaker McCarthy's ouster, potential successor
TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - Members of Congress from North Texas are speaking out about the historic vote to oust Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and who will potentially succeed him.
U.S. Representative Keith Self, R-McKinney, told CBS News Texas he opposed the motion by fellow Republican Matt Gaetz to remove McCarthy. "I didn't want to get caught up in the personality cult traps that we have in Washington, DC. We need to do our job; we need to pass the appropriations bills."
Aside from Gaetz, seven other Republicans along with all Democrats voted to give McCarthy the boot.
U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, was one of them. "We just want an honest broker, even if you're telling us we're not going to do anything, at least be honest about it and we couldn't find that in McCarthy."
Now, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan of Ohio have announced they're running for Speaker.
Kevin Hern of Oklahoma has said he's planning to do so.
Self hasn't committed to any candidate yet. "We've got a lot of talented people in the Republican party. We are holding our powder dry. I'm holding my powder dry because I want to see who actually gets in. We're early in this. We're one day into this."
Crockett told CBS News Texas she has no preference.
Because Republicans are in the majority in the House, they will select the new speaker.
When asked if she thinks the change in leadership will help or hurt the Democrats, Crockett said, "I think that we net nothing. I don't think it's a net gain, I don't think it's a net loss."
Some Republicans have said they want to change the current rule which allows a single member to call for a motion to vacate the chair and force a vote to remove the Speaker.
Crockett said, "I know that Matt Geatz is an easy target, and everyone is blaming Matt Gaetz or they're blaming the eight or even the Republicans want to blame the Democrats. But at the end of the day this is a rule that was changed by McCarthy."
While Crockett said she would support a change in the rule if Democrats were in the majority, Self disagreed. "I will tell you I don't think it ought to change. I think it is what this country was started with, and I think it has served us well. I see no reason to change it."
U.S. Representative Ronny Jackson, a Republican whose district includes the Texas Panhandle and parts of Denton County announced he has endorsed Jordan for Speaker.
U.S. Representatives Pat Fallon, a Republican whose district includes Collin, Denton, and Rockwall Counties, Lance Gooden, R-Terrell and Jake Ellzey, R-Waxahachie have announced they are all backing Scalise for Speaker.
The vote for Speaker may take place Wednesday.
