Rep. Gaetz files motion to oust Speaker McCarthy over deal averting government shutdown

by

Karen Ben-Moyal

in Current Affairs Posted on 

10/01/2023 11:00 AM

With just a few hours remaining before the midnight deadline, divided congressional lawmakers were able to avert a government shutdown Saturday evening by passing a short-term spending bill that keeps agencies funded through November the 17th. U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was eventually forced to take charge of creating a working resolution that could reach bi-partisan support and avoid shutting down the federal government. 

House Speaker McCarthy ended up maneuvering a last-minute continuing resolution (CR) which would require significant support from Democrats to keep agencies’ doors open for 45 extra days, and allocated $16 billion in federal disaster aid to hard-hit American communities. In addition, the speaker would go against the wishes of the White House in specifically blocking out or preventing the implementation of any further proposed foreign aid deals which would allow more funds to go towards assisting Ukraine in their war against Russia. Shortly after the bill was approved in the House, the Senate would almost immediately vote in favor of the last-minute compromise. This motion sent the deal straight to the desk of the U.S. president for final confirmation. With just a few hours to spare before the midnight deadline, President Joe Biden signed off on the agreement, which temporarily averted a government shutdown and gave federal leaders an extension in which they could arrange supplemental discussions and later vote on long-term decisions.

On Sunday, Florida Congressman Matthew Gaetz announced he will be seeking to oust Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from his leadership position as Speaker of the House following the dramatic move made by Congress. In response to Rep. Gaetz's "motion to vacate the speakership," Rep. McCarthy said, "That's nothing new. . . He has tried to do that from the moment I ran for office. . . I'll survive." The speaker added that the confrontational disagreement was, "personal with Matt. . . Gaetz is more interested in securing TV interviews than doing something. . . So be it, bring it on, let's get over with it and let's start governing." 

Photo Credit Mark Foley

REP. BARRY GOLDWATER JR. (RET.) NAMED HONORARY CHAIRMAN OF THE CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS.

by

Dr. Steven J.

in Current Affairs Posted on 

11/27/2023 08:09 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 16, 2023

CONTACT: Dr. Steven J. Allen 

(703) 261-9715‬

drstevenjallen@theconservativecaucus.org

REP. BARRY GOLDWATER JR. (RET.) NAMED HONORARY CHAIRMAN OF THE CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS

WASHINGTON, DC – The Conservative Caucus, the nation’s premier grassroots conservative group, has announced the appointment of Rep. Barry Goldwater Jr. (Ret.) as Honorary Chairman. The Caucus, known as TCC, has more than 100,000 members representing all 50 states.

Goldwater served 14 years as a member of the U.S. Congress, representing a district in California, and is the son of the late Senator Barry Goldwater Sr., who was the first presidential candidate of the modern conservative movement.

“For almost half a century,” Goldwater said, “The Conservative Caucus has organized grassroots activists who follow the tradition of leaders like William F. Buckley Jr., my father Barry Goldwater Sr., Ronald Reagan, and Jack Kemp. In this time of disastrous left-wing policies at almost every level – from the White House to many school boards and local prosecutors’ offices – the Caucus is needed more than ever.”

Goldwater added: “TCC fights for the values and interests of ‘regular’ Americans – families, working-class people, small-business people, and everyone who loves this country and our freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. I am proud to serve as the Caucus’s Honorary Chairman.”

To interview Rep. Goldwater or Vice Chairman Dr. Allen, contact Allen at 703-261-9715‬ drstevenjallen@theconservativecaucus.org

TCC’s Chairman is Peter J. Thomas, who was chief of staff to Representative Peter Torkildsen (R-Massachusetts) and served in the Reagan and both Bush administrations. The Vice Chairman is Dr. Steven J. Allen, who served as press secretary to Senator Jeremiah Denton (R-Alabama), as a campaign aide for Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp, and Newt Gingrich, and as editor of the Tea Party’s magazine. The Caucus was founded in 1974 by Governor Meldrim Thomson (R-New Hampshire), who would be the only sitting governor to support Reagan for president in 1976, and Howard Phillips, former study body president at Harvard and former head of the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity.

MORE ON GOLDWATER: Rep. Barry Goldwater Jr. (Ret.) followed in his father’s footsteps as a conservative leader. In Congress, he co-authored the Privacy Act of 1974, one of the most important pieces of legislation protecting Americans’ privacy rights. He blocked the federal government from creating movies in-house, which would have taken jobs from the U.S. motion picture industry. On the Energy Research and Development Committee, he promoted energy independence in the wake of the OPEC embargo. He also served on the Space and Aviation Committee, which authorized and oversaw the historic Apollo 11 moon landing. An expert on aviation and transportation technology, he is a pilot with over 3,000 hours of flight time.

He campaigned for Ronald Reagan, a family friend whose emergence as a political figure came during the Goldwater for President campaign, and for other conservative candidates such as Ron Paul. He has won the Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, an award from the President’s Commission on Employment of the Handicapped, and the Conscience of the Congress Award of the American Conservative Union (the group behind the CPAC conference).

Goldwater is a board member of the Goldwater Institute, a leading conservative think tank, which has an arm that sues government entities when they violate the Constitution and statutory law. He is also a member of the board of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program, one of the most prestigious national undergraduate scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics; it is awarded to some 400 students per year.

TCC's 49-year Legacy: Ronald Reagan with TCC leaders (Barry Goldwater Jr., Chairman Peter J. Thomas, Vice Chairman Dr. Steven J. Allen, Founder Howard Phillips and Senator Gordon Humphrey, and Governor Meldrim Thomson).