Rep. Nancy Mace (RS.C.) took to national television Sunday to call Rep. Matt Gaetz a “fraud” for his antics during the protracted House speaker election.
Mace accused Gaetz of turning repeated rejections of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) into fundraising pleas. Compounding another right-wing deviation, Gaetz voted to fight McCarthy 14 times before giving up in the 15th round on Friday by voting “now,” allowing McCarthy to win.
“Matt Gaetz is a fraud,” Mace said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” with Margaret Brennan. “Every time they voted against Kevin McCarthy last week, they sent out fundraising emails. What you saw last week was the constitutional process being undermined by that kind of political behavior. I don’t support that kind of behavior.”
“I have no regrets about voting on the House floor against Kevin McCarthy for Speaker!” one Gaetz fundraising outreach to readers, Axios reported.
Mace was also outraged that Gaetz and other Republicans cut concessions from McCarthy to allow a third of the rules committee to include ultraconservatives from the Freedom Caucus. The rules committee determines which bills will be passed.
“I am concerned that commonsense rules will not get through to get a vote on the floor,” Mace said.
Mace, who calls himself “pro-life” with “many exceptions,” noted an upcoming abortion bill that neither the Senate nor President Joe Biden will approve. He said that “if we’re going to be serious about protecting life,” the GOP needs to entertain a more centrist view that promotes birth control so the need for abortion can decrease.
Mace said he was “on the fence” about approving legislation that would facilitate actual legislation. That vote came on Monday.
Mace, who has accused Gaetz of fraud before, is not the only Republican to express frustration with Florida conservatives. Some walked out on Gaetz’s floor speech on Friday, and Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama had to be physically restrained from going after Gaetz at one point.
Gaetz’s office did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.