In a plot twist worthy of these times, the firebrand Florida Republican congressman representing the Panhandle took to the House floor calling for the removal of Speaker Kevin O. McCarthy (R.-Calif.) shortly after McCarthy announced that he commenced impeachment proceedings to remove President Joseph R. Biden Jr. from his job.

“Joe Biden deserves impeachment for converting the vice presidency into an ATM machine for virtually his entire family,” he said. “We all see it. We all know it.”

“Moments ago, Speaker McCarthy endorsed an impeachment inquiry,” said Rep. Matthew L. Gaetz II, a member of the House Freedom Caucus.

Gaetz dismissed McCarthy’s foray into impeachment as too little, too late. 

“This is a baby step following weeks of pressure from House conservatives to do more—we must move faster.”

On this very floor in January, the whole world witnessed a historic contest for House Speaker.

I rise today to serve notice. Mr. Speaker, you are out of compliance with the agreement that allowed you to assume this role. The path forward for the House of Representatives is to… pic.twitter.com/1IFsrmT8KK

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) September 12, 2023

Gaetz said in addition to his failure to hold the president to account, the speaker did not keep his word to House conservatives.

“On this very floor in January, the whole world witnessed a historic contest for House Speaker,” said 

“I rise today to serve notice: Mr. Speaker, you are out of compliance with the agreement that allowed you to assume this role,” said the host of the Firebrand podcast.

“The path forward for the House of Representatives is to either bring you into immediate, total compliance or remove you, pursuant to a motion to vacate the chair,” he said.

Gaetz said the speaker failed to bring matters of extreme concern for House conservatives to the House floor.

The congressman said in January, McCarthy promised he would use the power of the subpoena and the purse. 

“But, here we are eight months later, and we haven't even sent the first subpoena to Hunter Biden," he said. 

"That's how you know the rushed and somewhat rattled performance you just saw from the speaker isn't real," he said.

“We have had no votes on term limits or on balanced budgets, as the agreement demanded and required,” he said. “There has been no full release of the Jan. 6 tapes, as you promised.”

The congressman said there has been insufficient accountability for the president and his business dealings with family members.

According to Gaetz, McCarthy also failed to reduce federal government spending as he promised and had gone along with dishonest accounting gimmicks to increase spending. “You ultimately ended up serving as the valet to underwrite Biden’s debt and advance his spending agenda.”

McCarthy: Not enough evidence yet to impeach Biden

Standing at a lectern outside the entrance to his offices, just before Statutory Hall and the corridor leading to the House Floor, McCarthy said he was convinced Biden was a corrupt man who, while serving as vice president, mixed public service with private gain. 

Soon after McCarthy's remarks, Gaetz took the floor. 

"In recent months, House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden’s conduct; taken together, these allegations paint a picture of a culture of corruption,” the speaker said. 

“Through our investigations, we have found that President Biden lied to the American people about knowledge of his family’s foreign business dealings,” he said. 

“Eyewitnesses have testified that the President joined multiple phone calls and had multiple interactions, dinners, resulting in cars and millions of dollars to his son and his son’s business partners,” he said.

McCarthy said the Biden family has raked in nearly $20 million and spread the take among members of the Biden family and their partners through shell companies.

I am directing our House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Over the past several months, House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden’s conduct—a culture of corruption. https://t.co/3uoDlUB3Sy

— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) September 12, 2023

“The Treasury Department, alone, has more than 150 transactions involving the Biden family and other business associates that were flagged as suspicious activity by U.S. banks,” he said.

It was already part of the public record, but it was stunning to hear the speaker say: “Even a trusted FBI informant has alleged a bribe to the Biden family.”

The speaker said House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R.-Ky.) would lead the inquiries, along with House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R.-Ohio). 

"We are committed to getting the answers for the American public – nothing more, nothing less,” he said. 

“We will go wherever the evidence takes us.”