Republican Congressman: McCarthy Is My Friend, But I Must Follow My Conscience

GOP Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee said Tuesday that despite being a friend of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, he will follow his conscience and vote to remove McCarthy from that position.
Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida rose on the House floor Tuesday calling for the speaker’s removal after McCarthy worked with Democrats to pass a continuing resolution that kept the federal government open for 45 days.
In McCarthy’s defense, a majority of the Republican caucus, 126 members, voted for the legislation on Saturday, though 90 did not. All but one Democrat voted for the measure.

McCarthy’s leadership would have been much more in question if he had passed the continuing resolution with a minority of Republican support and a majority of Democratic backing.
Nonethe …