Representatives in the House got physical the other day in the midst of the drama over voting for the Speaker of the House position. Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz was one of the holdouts blocking McCarthy from the 218 votes he needed to get the gavel. When he voted “present” on the 14th ballot, fellow GOP Representative Mike Rogers from Alabama had had enough.
Rogers had to be restrained by some of his colleagues as he confronted Gaetz about his vote.
Gaetz doesn’t seem to be holding a grudge against Rogers, he tweeted: “@RepMikeRogersAL and I have a six-year productive, working relationship. We’re going to work together wonderfully going forward. I don’t think there should be any punishment or reprisal just because he had an animated moment. He has my forgiveness.”
The tweet also included a video link to his interview on Fox News Sunday where he stated the same sentiment. He talked about his Rogers was going to be a terrific chairman of the Armed Services Committee and that they shared a deep commitment to the national defense and the men and women in uniform. He dismissed the altercation saying that “of course” there would be moments of frustration when there was late-night “high drama.”
Rogers replied to this olive branch by Gaetz saying he regretted briefly losing his temper on the House Floor on Friday and appreciated the kind understanding he received from Gaetz.
Rep. Gaetz did an interview with the New York Post in which he said that he felt like the American people won after all the drama in the House, and he felt like the House of Representatives would be a “healthier institution.” He also said that now the House has an “exquisite rules package.”
As Congress continues to act throughout this week, we will see how they move forward with this new rules package.
