Sen. Mitt Romney on McCarthy removal: ‘It’s a pathway to chaos’

Sen. Mitt Romney said House Republicans were on a “pathway to chaos” after eight of them voted with all House Democrats to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his leadership position.

The small, angry group of Republicans who toppled McCarthy had him in their crosshairs after he headed off a government shutdown by bringing a bill to the floor Saturday that extended funding for the government for 45 days.

With McCarthy gone, a shutdown may be more likely, given how difficult it will be for Republicans to pass all of the necessary spending bills by the mid-November deadline.

Romney, R-Utah, noted the problem caused by a “power vacuum” in the House in his remarks to HuffPost, saying it will make it more difficult to pass legislation.

“It’s a pathway to chaos. It’s like a shutdown,” he said.

In remarks to Punchbowl, Romney doubled down on his concerns that with McCarthy gone, Congress will be less likely to get things done.

“There is a faction in both parties, but certainly most visibly in mine, that wants to perform and be seen, as opposed to actually legislate and govern,” he said. “And that is what’s led to the outcome you saw today.”

Earlier this year, Romney praised McCarthy for managing to get a debt limit agreement worked out, calling him then “the most underestimated man in Washington, D.C.”

“Look, this isn’t Christmas. The opposition party is not going to give us everything we want but Speaker McCarthy was able to accomplish a great deal — and by the way, probably the most underestimated man in Washington, D.C., is Speaker McCarthy,” Romney said in June.

He said he was worried McCarthy wouldn’t be able to get enough Republicans to sign on to the deal, but praised the former speaker for getting the agreement through the House.

Romney announced last month he would not run for reelection in 2024, freeing him up to be even more candid about concerns for his party and dysfunction in Washington.