Marjorie Taylor Greene ‘furious’ with fellow Republicans over Kevin McCarthy negotiations

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Tuesday she was “furious” with her “friends” in the conservative House Freedom Caucus for pressing Rep. Kevin McCarthy for committee seats before the House votes on the California Republican’s bid to become speaker.

Greene of Georgia, who backs McCarthy for the gavel, claimed some of her fellow Republicans, including Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, were positioning themselves for plum panel assignments during ongoing talks meant to smooth the path for McCarthy to win the speaker’s gavel.​

“We have been negotiating, talking, debating back and forth in our conference, trying to come to a really good rules package. And it’s amazing. As a matter of fact, I’ll quote Matt Gaetz. He said, ‘It’s exquisite,’” Greene told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday.

“That’s what he said on our conference call on Sunday.”

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During the conference meeting, Greene said, she learned that three members “were demanding positions for themselves, demanding gavel positions, demanding subcommittees, demanding for people to be taken off committees and people to be put on committees. Three, three Republicans out of our 222.”

Greene, who was stripped of her committee assignments in February 2021 over her controversial comments about QAnon conspiracy theories, said she didn’t seek one for herself. 

“The only thing I have done is debate and request and argue among my peers for the right things, for the rules package and for our agenda for the American people. And that’s the only thing I’ve done,” she said.

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“I’m the only Republican that has zero committees. So you would think I would be the one in there asking for something. But I haven’t done that. But I find out that it’s my Freedom Caucus colleagues and my supposed friends that went and did that, and they asked nothing for me. Nothing. That’s what I found out in there. I’m furious,” she said. 

Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, one of a handful of Republicans staunchly opposed to McCarthy, acknowledged to Fox News Tuesday that the Freedom Caucus sought committee seats before the vote for speaker. 

But he said McCarthy turned down the demand.

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“Once the speaker becomes elected, then promises aren’t kept and there’s nothing you can do about it,” said Perry, who later added: “The speaker’s position is incredibly powerful​ –​ determines all committees, who’s on committee, chairs committees, and the policies that come out of committees.”