on Meet the Press now so I want to begin
on the funding bill you voted against
both the Contin both continuing
resolutions in light of the deal with
Democrats do you regret voting down the
first one no not at all uh we have uh
soon coming up 36 trillion dollars of
debt that is too much Kevin McCarthy
promised that we would have a vote on
every single uh of the 12 Appropriations
bills that should have started in June
it should have started in July we would
have been where we needed to at this
point that is having passed those bills
giving Kevin the opportunity to
negotiate with the Senate on each of
those bills the fact that he didn't do
it was just more of this crisis
management we had the the same thing
with the debt limit it was it was last
minute the the world was looking to see
what we would do and he forced a vote on
that and promised President Biden much
more 200 billion dollars more of
spending than he promised Republicans
when he ran for speaker so the the
message is very clear to Kevin McCarthy
you've got to hold you got to stick your
promises and make sure we get these
bills done would it have been worth it
though to shut the government down no no
it wouldn't have been worth it at all
but but that is on Kevin McCarthy it's
not worth it when June when you don't
start putting Appropriations bills on
the floor
um and and this has been going on now
for 27 years we haven't passed our
Appropriations bills because the speaker
and the leader of the Senate decide at
the last minute what the deal is going
to be that that isn't inclusive of
members of Congress and it shouldn't
happen so Congressman you mentioned that
it's on Kevin McCarthy regarding Matt
Gates's potential motion to vacate would
you support that would you want to ask
the speaker I want to hear what Kevin
McCarthy has to say about why 36
trillion dollars of debt is is okay I
want to hear what he has to say about
why we haven't had 12 Appropriations
bills I want to know what the side deals
were with Hakeem Jeffries the leader of
the Democrat Party in the House
regarding Ukraine regarding other things
now the speaker says he didn't talk to
the blind Administration about Ukraine
funding I know on the floor today I'm
decade said that there was an alleged
secret deal but McCarthy says that's not
what happened well the President says
that's what happened the president said
um I'm going to hold Kevin to his
commitment to bring up Ukraine funding
when the president United States says
that he doesn't have a uh you know a dog
in this fight and he made it very clear
that uh the Kevin McCarthy made that
commitment so just to be clear though at
this point you're a maybe when it comes
to ousting speaker McCarthy I am let's
put everything on the table and and see
who is going to be the best person to
lead us into a fiscally responsible uh
spending back at this point who else
could lead the Republicans at this point
I think there are a number of really
good candidates they're not going to put
their heads up well I'm not going to go
through their names because they don't
want to identify themselves while Kevin
is Speaker there there is something
about loyalty to the boss at this point
but if Kevin is no longer the speaker he
loses the motion to vacate I think
you're going to see a lot of good people
step forward is one of those named Ken
Buck no you sure worst job in America
and I guarantee you Ken buck and Matt
Gates is not one of those people I might
get three votes Matt would get one do
you think Matt Gates is just out for
attention here no I don't I think
there's a real issue in D.C and and the
Insiders in DC have played this game
around Appropriations for years
um I I credit Matt with making sure that
we're going to move down this path I
think it could have been done a little
more delicately at times but uh
certainly give Matt credit so if it
fails on the first try if he puts this
for this motion to vacate but he keeps
doing it over and over again and the
house grinds to a halt what then well
that doesn't happen I don't think Matt
is is that tone deaf Kevin McCarthy is
that tone death and what he's done with
spending but I don't think Matt is that
that tone you don't think that Matt
great Gates you don't think that Matt
Gates would grind the house to a halt no
I really don't think that no
um he did several months ago
during you know during the speakership
process
um when you know more more than a dozen
times there was votes for a speaker the
House Grounded to a halt back then well
so uh first of all I I thought that was
really healthy I I think when you're
talking about a deliberative body that
goes through a process like that it's
not unhealthy but there were I think the
first uh vote for Kevin McCarthy there
were 22 people that um objected to him
being speaker
um and then that uh came down and down
as Kevin was negotiating with different
people but it wasn't just mad Gates that
ground anything to a halt people didn't
swear allegiance to Matt Gates there
were a lot of people that had concerns
with Kevin do you trust Kevin McCarthy
right now I don't you don't no that says
a lot that you would say that about your
speaker of the house at this point well
it's based on uh making promises that he
can't keep to so many different people
what happens with
if Democrats sign on to house Speaker
McCarthy what do you make of that well
Kevin is then forming a coalition
government and and the Democrats have
then bought somebody that that frankly a
lot of them have come up to me and said
they don't trust so there there is going
to be a an interesting Coalition that's
formed but I don't think it's going to
be based on trust with Kevin now amidst
this government shutdown standoff the
house had its first impeachment inquiry
uh hearing last week you've been
critical of that effort saying that
you've seen No Smoking Gun connecting
the president and his son's business
dealings did you see any new evidence at
that first hearing that would change
your mind no just the opposite um
Professor Jonathan Turley said there
isn't enough evidence for an impeachment
at this point because there isn't that
link between Hunter Biden's activities
which by the way are Sleazy and Joe
Biden's status as vice president and his
actions as vice president so do you
think that there could be a Smoking Gun
here oh there could be and but this this
is the first hearing when they have
brought their best evidence in that
first hearing sure and when I met with
the investigators at the oversight
committee they told me this is an
ongoing investigation and so I think
they're looking for that but the problem
with calling it an impeachment inquiry
is you raise expectations they were
doing a great job Judiciary oversight
Ways and Means of investigating what
happened it should have stayed at that
level but to be clear you don't think
they have a Smoking Gun at this point
they do not have a Smoking Gun I'm sure
of that representative Ken Buck of
Colorado thank you so much for joining
us here on Meet the Press now thank you
appreciate your time