VTGOP Chairman Paul Dame issued the following statement today regarding Rep. Matt Gaetz’s motion to vacate, and Rep. Becca Balint’s participation.
“One thing more disappointing than Rep. Matt Gaetz’s decision to vacate the Speaker is Rep. Balint’s excitement to support the kind of unserious political gamesmanship that people like Rep. Gaetz want to engage in. Despite her comments on Saturday opposing “chaos and uncertainty” she is now teaming up with Congress’s top chaos agent to engage in the same kind of reckless behavior she opposed over the weekend.”
Balint released the following statement after voting to oust McCarthy:
“I ran for Congress because our democracy is in crisis. Since the first week of this session, the House has been led by a speaker whose failure to govern with integrity is actively eroding our democracy. Kevin McCarthy enables dangerous extremism that has real consequences for Vermonters and working families across the country. He’s sold his speakership to the highest bidder: MAGA extremists – shepherding through their agenda to ban abortion, attack marginalized people, prop up billionaires, and pollute our communities. He has shown time and time again that he is not a partner we can trust, breaking every promise he has made over the last nine months. This Congress has urgent work to do. I will continue to fight extremism while working hard on behalf of Vermonters.”
Dame – no stranger to leading a Republican body at odds with itself – said he appreciated McCarthy’s efforts.
“I have appreciated the work Speaker McCarthy was willing to undertake in one of the most difficult circumstances. Republicans, like Americans in general, are a diverse group of people with a wide variety of strongly-held viewpoints. I believe Speaker McCarthy did the best he could with the hand he was dealt. His efforts to move back towards a more normal order, passing 4 of the 12 appropriations bills (which funded 70% of government) and negotiating an automatic spending cut (signed by Joe Biden!) if the appropriations bills are not passed – these were all important accomplishments achieved in only 9 months with a narrowly divided house. We were on a path toward meaningful spending and debt reform before the coalition of impatient Republicans and opportunistic Democrats put us on a completely uncertain path.”
”I also thank Speaker McCarthy for his service, and his humility to step aside and not seek to be re-elected as House Speaker, even though he had support from over 95% of the caucus. I appreciate the fact that he was willing to take a stand, and do what he thought was right to ensure Republicans avoided a shut down on our watch – even though it cost him his leadership role.”
Categories: Congress
So our Dear Leader predictably stomps and spits on McCarthy’s carcass. Next…..
This current phenomenon, that began in earnest yesterday, has established a tangible ‘skirmish line’ that all libertarian-minded conservatives should indulge. While Vermont is, for the most part, a virtual write-off to progressive ideologies, the vacating of Speaker McCarthy in the U.S. House has established a clear debate between the status quo and the enhancement of our individual liberty and freedom.
This is a ‘real-time’ opportunity. Not only to learn about the process, but the difference between the so-called ‘deep state’ big government, and the alleged threat of ‘chaos’ described by those who are deep state operatives.
If anything, the current line of reporting exposes the pervasive corruption that has consumed the process – or, better put, the absence of process. And it exposes the establishment’s failure to penetrate and overcome Matt Gaetz’s independent logic.
This is all about the One Subject at a Time Act, H.R. 4335 and S. 1572. Sometimes referred to as ‘line item’ legislation.
Don’t fall for the legislative chaos characterizations put forth by the establishment politicians and journalists representing both parties, Democrat and Republican (especially Balint and Dame). They are beholden to the K-Street lobbyists and corporate special interest groups who have controlled the Congress and Senate for decades. They are the proverbial wolves in sheep’s clothing.
The ‘chaos’ of which the wolves speak is precisely the intention of the Founders, who realized that any government is an inherently corrupting proposition. ‘Power corrupts. Absolute Power corrupts absolutely.’ The most ubiquitous tenants put forth in the U.S. Constitution are intended to limit government power over individual liberty and freedom. Matt Gaetz is taking the lead in pointing this out to us. And we had better listen carefully.
Post script: Speaking of subtle bias: where is the photo of Matt Gaetz and the notorious group of eight in this headline? IS VDC trying to ‘cancel’ them?
only so much room, Jay! also, we can only more or less non-copyrighted pix- limits our choices.
Indeed, Guy. There is always only so much room. The question is, who gets the space?
As much as I dislike the turmoil at this time it just shows the GOP is free thinkers where different views are encouraged not like the libtard dems where you must tow the party line at all times
Time will soon show us whether Gaetz ‘ripped the band-aid off’ the uniparty or will be consumed and spit out of congress. The actions of the Speaker and his majority party to date show little progress in repairing the damage done to the US since 2008. ms. balint’s comments only cement her status as a liberal drone in the wheels of a very big corrupt machine. She should be campaigning on the current US 2023 deficit of $2,000,000,000,000.00 and how she worked very hard to get that number up there. Bravo, ms. balint.
If you read what Vermont’s GOP chair states, now you understand what’s wrong with the GOP, especially in VT. McCarthy is a snake and always has been, and yes let’s see him lie his way out of this………….. $33T in debt, wide open borders so what has the former leader done, except side with the DemocRATs. As far as Baliant al she knows are the talking point from her party, another disgrace for VT…………………………
Much like GOP Chair Dame is constantly covering for our so-called Republican Governor in Vermont, he now covers for the so-called Republican Speaker of the House.
great commemt vtbeliever! what else would you expect from Dame, he voted for Biden, enough said…
Second to the corrupt election system in Vermont, this is why the Vermont Republican Party is going backwards. We have a GOP Leader who is much like Kevin McCarthy and has no REAL conviction or courage to STAND for true conservative Foundational Principles.
Gaetz is the one who sided with the Democrats in order to get rid of a Republican.
This is exactly what Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger were accused of – now Gaetz is counted among them.
McCarthy put together a bill that included a 30% cut in federal spending – Gaetz voted against it. It was so good Biden was howling at it: (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/29/by-the-numbers-impacts-of-extreme-house-republicans-30-cuts/) McCarthy tried to also pass the appropriations bills, but Gaetz & Co wouldn’t agree to them. The best source for the unvarnished truth on this is from Rep. Massie, who also voted to vacate Speaker Boehner. This congress made modest – but measurable – improvements on how things have been run. But Gaetz didn’t care about delivering on budget cuts. The only thing he cared about was virtue signalling for his donor base
True colors. Nice try Mr. Dame.
Folks, the spending cuts Mr. Dame refers to are relative to the inflated budgets of the last two years that included $5.2 Trillion in emergency Covid-19 spending.
My school district uses the same ploy every year to justify ever-increasing education budgets. The school board proposes a pie-in-the-sky massive increase early on, then decreases its request, claiming that it ‘cut’ the proposed budget – when, in fact, the year-to-year budget continues to increase.
Furthermore, Mr. Dame conveniently ignores the gorilla in the room – deficit spending, and Mr. Gaetz’s hallmark proposal for ‘Single Subject’ legislation that allows individual budget items to be considered of their own accord. This is what the whole fight is about.
And the Democrats really had to vote along with the gang of eight Republicans, when you think about it. If they didn’t, they would have been accused of supporting a Republican speaker they’ve been vilifying for years.
Again, the big deal is ‘Single Subject Legislation’. Don’t take your eyes from the prize, no matter what ‘deep stater’ Paul Dame tells you.
So, Paulie, McCarthy is told by Pelosi, don’t worry about the motion to vacate we Commiecrats would never let that happen. Pelosi stabs McCarthy in the back and all the Republicans can do is throw her and Hoyer out of their side offices. So, who was the colluding with the Commiecrats in the first place? McCarthy
Matt Gaetz didn’t get rid of a REAL REPUBLICAN. He had the courage and conviction to bring accountability to a member of his Party. Matt Gaetz did what many others should have done long ago. McCarthy hasn’t represented Republican Principles for many years.
Matt Gaetz called out a RINO POLITICIAN APPEASER who is a Republican in name only. You know Paul, like your buddy Vermont Governor Phil Scott; the man you choose to constantly cover for; the man you and others in the GOP Leadership have chosen to sacrifice the Vermont Republican Party to.
When will you STAND UP like Matt Gaetz and bring some accountability to the so-called Vermont Republicans? When will you start to serve the best interest of the Vermont Republican Party Principles? When will you STAND UP and start to serve the best interests of The People of Vermont?
Why do you question the conservatives who do not want to call themselves a Republican in Vermont? Please tell us Paul; who is the Vermont Republican Party? What does the Vermont Republican Party STAND FOR!
Read all the comments on this post about the VTGOP failing and then read Mr. Dame’s reply.
See it doesn’t matter how many point out that McCarthy joined sides with the marxists and sold out Conservatives. Mr. Dame points out one thing to say McCarthy really was a good guy.
Exactly the same way Mr. Dame, Tom Koch and Jay Shepard want you to believe that one thing is good enough. More Republicans in the VT Legislature, even if they aren’t Republican.
Don’t address the facts that you supported a failed idea by allowing anyone who claimed to be a Republican to destroy any integrity in the Platform.
Don’t address the fact that Phil Scott is no more a Republican than Sanders or Pelosi.
Don’t address the fact that you refuse to condemn the 24 Transrepublican VT Representatives that voted with the marxists to mutilate children.
Mr. Dame thinks it doesn’t matter if you betray the people that vote for you.
When I asked Jay Shepard to defend those 24 Transrepublicans, he said that it isn’t the only issue.
True, but if your neighbor is a good guy most of the time but breaks into your house and molests your kids, pretty sure I would hold him accountable.
If Dame, Koch and Shepard are reelected at the reorganization meeting in November, you can rest assured more seats will be lost to the marxists in the legislature. Because many in the VTGOP side with them.
One more thing, if Mr. Dame, Mr. Koch or Mr. Shepard would like to debate me on any of these points, let me know where and when.
Baliant is a communist that no American has any use for. She needs to spare us her nonsense and just shut up.
Wonderful game. They will vote in Trump as speaker for 3 months. Dems can block with one vote and will be blamed for government shut down. Trump can remain speaker and get things done.
Either way, Deep State loses, Americans win.
thank you Baliant and all the Dems for playing stupid games.
Anyone from the eight or staunch freedom caucus could do it. But it would be more fun with Trump. Cheers.
Do we question ANYTHING coming from the VTGOP? How come the press never asks hard hitting questions? Any questions? People take this for face value. Read the article, now I’m nauseous.
See how only eight people can make such a dramatic change? This is what needs to happen in Vermont. A small cadre of people, working in harmony.
GOP chair and other RINO positions are why I no longer consider myself a Republican. I take seriously my oath to support and defend the constitution and RINOs don’t!
No one paying attention is surprised Paul Dame would praise McCarthy while condemning Gaetz.
The Eight Republicans that voted McCarthy out actually stand for something.
Mr. Dame, Rules Committee Chair Tom Koch, and National Committeeman Jay Shepard support the 24 Transrepublican State Representative sellouts that proved they stand for nothing by voting for H89.
Dame and Koch’s ” Big Tent ” ideology cost VT Conservatives seats in the legislature while giving voters Liam Madden and Jarrod Sammis.
Madden openly bragged about not being a Republican and Sammis left to become a Libertarian.
Phil Scott, Joe Benning, Corey Parent and others bragged about supporting H89.
Dame has boasted multiple times that Scott is the most popular Governor in America. What Dame never points out is that Scott receives between 60 – 70% of his votes from democrats.
Why wouldn’t they support him ? Scott has given millions of Vermonters tax dollars to planned parenthood, supporting and signing illegal unconstitutional Gun Laws, stealing $ 2 million from a program designated to protect VT Children at risk from domestic abuse and $ 3 million from the Tobacco Settlement fund to support Vermonters who have been injured to give to illegal aliens because they were not eligible for Stimulus checks.
Never forget, ” You aren’t Essential ” but planned parenthood and VT Liquor Stores and employees were.
Check the stats on our Border with Canada and the Southern Border. Scott voted for Biden for the good of the country.
Because he can’t define the word, Woman, every female in VT Schools and places of business is demeaned and threatened.
But don’t worry, Dame thinks he is the best.
To make everyone aware that isn’t, Dame defeated me for the VTGOP Chair two years ago.
When I was in the VTGOP, I was the Platform Committee Delegate for Chittenden County. Along with fighting to keep language in the Platform protecting life from the moment of conception and removing State Taxes from Military Members, ( along with several other Platform Delegates ) I wrote an Amendment that would remove all endorsements and financial support from any candidate that did not adhere to the VTGOP Platform.
It was defeated by a 2/3rds majority by voting members of the VTGOP. Dame and Koch bragged about that.
Members of the the VTGOP, Dame, Koch, and Shepard all campaigned for and supported Christian Nolan for U.S. Senate. Despite the fact she supported abortion thru the 2nd Trimester, ( over 99% of all abortions ) and she vowed to fight to codify Roe V Wade if elected.
Gerald Malloy, the 100% Pro Life and Constitutional candidate received no support or endorsement from the VTGOP during his campaign.
Immediately after Malloy defeated Nolan, Dame issued a plea for donations to support Malloy. I called him out for that immediately. I don’t know how much was collected if anything but Malloy never received a Cent from the VTGOP.
A month ago I wrote asking for all VT Conservatives to find and support someone who would actually support the Platform and stand up against the marxists instead of joining them.
The VTGOP must reorganize every two years and all offices are up for election. This will happen in just a few weeks.
I am thankful to all who call out those who betray VT Conservatives. Some of them have commented here. But if the same people who failed you are elected again, the marxists in the Statehouse will gain more seats.
Have no doubt, the VTGOP doesn’t stand for anything.
Mr. Sexton, please stop lying about me. You’ve accused me (and Corey Parent) of supporting H.89. That bill was introduced in January of this year. Neither I nor Corey Parent was a member of the legislature at that time. I have never supported that bill, or even spoken about it, either in writing or in person. In fact, until I saw your first comment about my supporting it, I hadn’t even heard of it. Would be most appreciated if you’d get your facts correct.
Must be you forget about the time I stood in for Gregory Thayer at the Town Hall meeting in Southern VT during your campaign for Lieutenant Governor.
I’ll refresh your memory. You said you supported Prop 5 and you would vote for Article 22, which became H89.
My memory is crystal clear, and I remember all those present who also called you out for it.
Parent joined forces with Mitzi Johnson to promote Article 22 in an ad campaign prior to last Novembers election.
What I wrote is factual, you weren’t a member of the Legislature because enough Vermonters realized you would not support the VTGOP Platform.
Parent didn’t run again, one less Transrepublican there.
*** Love the comment, ” I hadn’t even heard of it. ”
Strange, because you said you would vote for it.
Feel free to deny that Mr. Benning.
I don’t have to lie to make you prove who you are, you do just fine by yourself.
Mr. Sexton, I now see the problem. I did indeed vote for Prop 5 and I stand by that vote, but Prop 5 did not “become” H.89. All bills START with either an H or an S in front of them. In the case of a constitutional amendment they END with a Proposition number if passed by the legislature. I supported that Proposition as a Republican because I believe all Vermonters have a liberty interest that entitles them to be left alone as a core component of the Republican party. You opposed it because you believe one’s position on abortion is a litmus test for being a “real Republican.” On this we plainly disagree. Your reference to H.89 caused me to look up the current H.89, introduced this year when neither I nor Corey Parent were members of the legislature. I don’t know what the original bill number was on what became Prop 5, but there have been several bills numbered H.89 since that original Prop 5 proposal was made. I had no idea you were talking about Prop 5. We’ll still disagree, but for my part I’ll apologize for confusion on my end. But I’ll end by pointing out that you are wrong about why I was not a member of the legislature after December of 2022. I had chosen not to put my name on the ballot for State Senate because I was running for Lt. Governor.
Joe, the fetal homicide laws, and Vermont’s recent Prop 5, appear to be in conflict. Specifically, fetal homicide laws (“FHLs”), which are statutorily created criminal offenses punishing violence against pregnant women that results in injury or death of an unborn fetus, consider such an offense as a double homicide. FHLs rely on the concept of legal personhood to create fetal rights eligible for protection by the state. However, Prop 5 includes no such distinction.
My question then is, when is the establishment of ‘fetal legal personhood’ appropriate? What legal jeopardy occurs if, for example, a pregnant woman, in the third trimester, decides to have an abortion – for no reason? Does the father, who has sworn allegiance through marriage, and provided support for his future family, have no input?
My complaint about Prop 5, notwithstanding the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, is that Prop 5 sweeps these issues under the rug and makes us all potential criminals.
bolshevik becca the place holder simply spewing the party script given her to read. No better than pantywaste petey welch and his positive proof of Russian collusion he LIED to Vermont about.
Why was Nancy Pelosi still occupying the Speaker’s office? Rep. McHenry booted her corrupted carcass out of that office space. The bitter pill being forced down many throats is that the GOP is as fraudulent as their counterparts across the aisle. The corrupted corporation, the RNC and the DNC, are all infilitrated and basically run the same as the mafia and controlled by foreign cartels. We are witnessing the exposure of it all now and the big question hanging over everyone’s head is “what are we, the People, going to do about it?” The end game is near completion and the future of the United States hangs perilously in dangerous flux. It will get much worse, no doubt. As the power structure is crumbling under it’s own fraudlent corrupted weight, look out below. The days of Haman are here.
Re: Becca Balint: “I ran for Congress because our democracy is in crisis. Since the first week of this session, the House has been led by a speaker whose failure to govern with integrity is actively eroding our democracy. Kevin McCarthy enables dangerous extremism that has real consequences for Vermonters and working families across the country. He’s sold his speakership to the highest bidder: MAGA extremists…
I’m sure she’ll be really happy with Speaker Jim Jordan.
Who’s the blame……… let’s see, we are $33T in debt, open borders with no vetting, or any information on any vaccinations of any kind from any of the nations sending us there citizens, probably not their best ………. who’s to blame ??, all that voted for the nonsense !!
Becca Balint toes the party line, no matter how that line zigs and zags. I’d much rather have someone in the House who can think for themselves, but whatever. It’s a Vermont thing. Frankly, she’s irrelevant.
I for one am a big fan of what Gaetz did. The whole darn thing needs a shakeup, and if he’s the one to do it, that’s fine with me. The status quo has simply not worked for the American people. What did McCarthy do, exactly? I saw him cave to Biden and democrats by continuing to fund Ukraine. I saw him refuse to address the rising national debt. In fact, he added to it. I saw him table the twelve appropriations bills until the last minute, when Congress could have started working on them back in July. Why? So he could say, in effect, “Our backs are against the wall. We need to pass these increases and keep funding Ukraine. We cannot shut the government down!”. When all the time, he was going to go back to the playbook of “We need to work with the Democrats on this”. And when was the last time Democrats worked with Republicans on any major issue facing the USA?
So I support Gaetz and what he’s doing. We need more people like him, younger people, who don’t give a darn for politics as usual. Remember – All the media is against him, including old pols like Newt Gingrich, so he must be doing the right thing. Seems to me it wasn’t that long ago that Gingrich was a young firebrand himself. Remember his twenty (or whatever it was) point plan for the Republican congress back in the 90s? If I remember correctly, Newt led that, and it was a good thing for the country. So what changed, Newt?
At the very least, if you liked Speaker McCarthy, look at it this way. Let’s say you’re running an NFL team and you have Brett Favre in his prime as your quarterback. Why change? Now, what if you could get Tom Brady in *his* prime instead? Do you stick with Favre? No! You sign Brady.
So let’s see how this all shakes out, I was ever a McCarthy fan, but why shouldn’t we explore to see if there’s someone better out there? Bravo, Matt Gatez, I wish you were my own congressman.
The bottom line is SHUT UP YOU SWAMP RAT 🐀 PERIOD!! BEYOND DISGUSTING TO SAY THE LEAST!!
I HOPE ONE DAY THAT VERMONTERS WILL WAKE UP 🤡🤡🤡
Just remember most Republicans are actually Democrats, but no Democrats are ever Republicans.
The go along to get along crowd do not represent you if you are conservative. Make sure you vet who you vote for.