The eight Republicans who led the charge to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said they are willing to be expelled from the Republican conference as punishment if that’s what it takes to get the Republicans who don’t support Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to vote for him for speaker. Here’s what they said:
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.
“So we’ve made them an offer. The eight of us have said that we are willing to accept censure, sanction, suspension, removal from the Republican conference. We of course will remain Republicans, we will continue to vote with Republicans on Republican principles. But if what these holdouts need is a pound of our flesh, we’re willing to give it to them in order to see them elect Jim Jordan for speaker.”
Rep. Bob Good, R-Va.
“We believe what we did was right, we stand behind what we did. We believe the Republican Party, the Republican conference needs to change. Congress needs to change. However, if we’re the reason that the conference can’t come together and elect our speaker-designee, then we’re willing to submit ourselves to whatever consequence.”
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn.
“This is not about us, this is bigger than us. That’s why we’re offering ourselves on this thing. I think that needs to be made clear. It’s not about the 435, it’s about the eight of us saying this is what we’ll do.”
Jordan lost support on a third round of ballots Friday — 25 Republicans voted against him compared to 22 during the second round.
