Staff Reports
Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida reached out to fellow Republican Mike Rogers of Alabama after their confrontation on the House floor resulted in the latter getting restrained.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was one of the few Republicans who prevented Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy from becoming the next speaker of the House, drew ire from Rogers after he voted "present" in the 14th ballot. The confrontation, which was witnessed by Richard Hudson, forced the North Carolina Democrat to hold back Rogers.
In a statement, Gaetz said that he and Rogers have a great working relationship and that they will continue to work together. He also stated that he did not think that there should be any retaliation for the incident.
.@RepMattGaetz and I have a long and productive working relationship, that I am sure will continue. I regret that I briefly lost my temper on the House Floor Friday evening and appreciate Matt’s kind understanding. https://t.co/8GmbJHO3cK
— Mike Rogers (@RepMikeRogersAL) January 8, 2023
In his response, Gaetz also included a link to a video of his interview with Fox News Live.
Gaetz praised Rogers for his work as the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He also noted that they have a deep commitment to the country's national defense. After the incident, Rogers issued a public apology to Gatz.
Despite the minor incident that occurred on the House floor, Gaetz and Rogers have maintained a great working relationship. In a statement, Rogers also thanked Gaetz for his understanding.
Twenty-one Republicans, including Gaetz, initially refused to back McCarthy's bid to become the next House speaker. After winning pledges from McCarthy, the holdouts changed their minds and voted for the majority leader.
Most extraordinary CSpan floor video I have ever seen https://t.co/sFTPF8WCdJ
— Erik Wasson (@elwasson) January 7, 2023
Gaetz noted in an interview that some of McCarthy's concessions to the holdouts could be seen on Monday.
According to Gaetz, he felt that the American people had won and that the House would be a better institution under the new leadership. He noted that many of the issues that were resisted by McCarthy had been resolved.
After the House elected McCarthy as its new majority leader last week, Congress is expected to begin working on a rules package.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Daily Wire.
