Hello, Friends —
I'm proud to report this week was a historically successful one in the U.S. House of Representatives. After three weeks of House Republicans working to choose a new Speaker of the House, Congressman Mike Johnson of Louisiana was elected to the position on Wednesday. This marks the beginning of a new era for the 118th Congress.
For too long, Washington, D.C., has been dominated by the influence of powerful lobbyists. But with Speaker Johnson at the helm, the tide is turning. He follows God Almighty and the Constitution — in that order. He doesn't follow the whims and wishes of influence peddlers and special interests. I'm confident that under his speakership, the House will finally empower the interests of the American people.
After his election, Speaker Johnson eschewed the normal pomp and circumstance that normally follows the election of a new Speaker and immediately put the House back to work. The new Speaker is strongly committed to bringing single-subject spending bills to the House floor, and accordingly, we passed the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill in one day earlier this week. Speaker Johnson's leadership is a testament to the resilience of the democratic process that played out in the House Republican Conference.
REP. GAETZ DETAILS THE RISE OF SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON — AND HOW MCCARTHY TRIED TO STOP HIM
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On Wednesday, I joined Steve Bannon for an episode of "War Room," where we discussed the ascension of Speaker Mike Johnson — and everything Kevin McCarthy did to attempt to stop him.
After House Republicans held vote after vote to elect a new, more conservative House Speaker, all the candidates leading up to the election of Mike Johnson were shot down by one man: former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Throughout the whole process, McCarthy’s goal was to stop anyone from becoming Speaker in a desperate attempt to return to the position.
Thankfully, House Republicans saw his swampy efforts for what they were and vanquished them by electing Speaker Johnson.
FIREBRAND EP. 123: GETTING TO KNOW SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON
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On Wednesday, I hosted an episode of Firebrand, where I introduced newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson to the Firebrand Nation and explored what the future of the House of Representatives might look like under his leadership.
FIREBRAND EP. 124: NEW LEADERSHIP IN WASHINGTON
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On Thursday's episode of Firebrand, I reviewed the reactions to the ascension of Speaker Mike Johnson. One thing is evident: House Republicans' choice of Congressman Mike Johnson for the speakership demonstrates a commitment to prioritizing the interests of the American people.
On this episode of Firebrand, I also discuss the latest in foreign policy — and more!
CONGRESSMAN GAETZ DEMANDS AIR FORCE TAKE ACTION TO HALT WOKE DEI STRATEGIC PLAN
Earlier this week, I sent a letter to Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall regarding the Air Force’s placing an emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives over national security.
In my letter, I call on Secretary Kendall to eliminate the DEIA working group, which puts a disproportionate focus on DEI and social-experimentation programs within the Air Force — seemingly at the expense of the department's core mission of preserving national security. The Air Force's recruiting numbers from FY 2022 and 2023 were some of the weakest recruiting numbers in its history. Unfortunately, these recruitment statistics prove the failure of the Biden administration’s incorporation of DEI and social-experimentation programs in the Air Force.
Full text of my letter to Secretary Kendall can be found here.
THIS WEEK'S MEDIA WRAP-UP
Rep. Gaetz appears on "The Beat with Ari Melber" on MSNBC
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Rep. Gaetz joins Salem Radio Network's "America First with Sebastian Gorka"
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Congressman Gaetz joins Eric Bolling's "The Balance" on Newsmax
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AROUND THE DISTRICT
MESSAGE FOR U.S. CITIZENS IN LEBANON
Due to the unpredictable security situation in Lebanon, the Department of State has authorized the voluntary departure of family members of U.S. government personnel and some non-emergency personnel on a case-by-case basis from U.S. Embassy Beirut. This does not impact the operations of U.S. Embassy Beirut, which remains fully open for business. The current Travel Advisory is "Level 4: Do Not Travel" – the full text of the Travel Advisory may be found here.
The Department of State urges U.S. citizens not to travel to Lebanon, and recommends that U.S. citizens in Lebanon make appropriate arrangements to leave the country; commercial options currently remain available. They also recommend that U.S. citizens who choose not to depart prepare contingency plans for emergency situations, which can be found below:
- Have plans to depart that do not rely on the U.S. government.
- Ensure you and your family have your travel documents in order and are prepared to travel.
- Review your personal security plans.
- Keep your cell phone charged in case of emergency.
- Exercise caution, monitor the news closely for breaking developments that could affect internal security, and factor updated information into your travel plans and activities.
TEAM GAETZ HONORS WARRANT OFFICER DEREK BROCKLESBY AT EGLIN AFB
On Monday, my Director of Military Affairs was pleased to visit the Australia, Canada & United Kingdom F-35 Reprogramming Laboratory (ACURL) at Eglin Air Force Base to present a Congressional Recognition to Warrant Officer Derek Brocklesby in appreciation of 43 years of service to our greatest ally, the United Kingdom, in the Royal Air Force. More than eight years of that distinguished service were assigned in Northwest Florida working alongside the U.S. Air Force to ensure our collective defense is as strong as it can possibly be. Thank you for your service, and Strike True!
THE 2023 CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE HAS BEGUN!
The Congressional App Challenge is a public effort to encourage kids to learn how to code. Students compete to code original applications for the chance to be selected for recognition, win prizes, and have their work put on display in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
Official registration for the 2023 Congressional App Challenge is now open! Students can register for the 2023 Congressional App Challenge and start coding their apps for 2023 using the link below. The competition deadline is next WEDNESDAY, November 1st.
Click here to register for the Congressional App Challenge!
GAETZ IN THE NEWS
The Hill — October 25, 2023
Gaetz: Johnson victory proves MAGA power over Republican party
"'He is sharp. He will be as respected in the homes of our most meaningful, righteous and patriotic donors as he will at the rallies with our most enthusiastic and meaningful activists,' Gaetz said. House Republicans made Johnson the Speaker after three previous Republicans could not gather enough support after being named the nominee. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was kicked out of the job more than three weeks ago and the House had passed no bills from then until Johnson was elected. 'The swamp is on the run, MAGA is ascendant, and if you don't think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement, and where the power of the Republican Party truly lies, then you're not paying attention,' Gaetz said."
The Wall Street Journal — October 26, 2023
Matt Gaetz Sees Vindication in a Mike Johnson Win
"'I believe history will assess these three weeks as the most productive weeks of the 118th congress,' Gaetz said in an interview in his Capitol office. 'Because now we have both a man and a plan.' At last night's conference meeting, Gaetz says, former speaker Kevin McCarthy's gamesmanship was finally outmaneuvered. McCarthy, in Gaetz's telling, has been undermining successive speaker candidates in order to further the impression that McCarthy is the only leader who can unite the party. 'The premise he was trying to build is that he's the only person ever assembled 217 and the only person who ever could again — and in service of that mission, he sabotaged other candidates along the way,' Gaetz says."
Newsweek — October 26, 2023
Speaker Mike Johnson Is Triumph for Matt Gaetz and a Nightmare for Biden
"He continued, 'Unfortunately, the recruiting numbers would suggest a failure of DEI and social-experimentation programs. Your policies have resulted in numerous recruiting shortfalls of a historic manner; for example, the recruiting numbers from FY 2022 and FY 2023, were some of the weakest recruiting numbers in the history of the DAF. Additionally, the public has observed the politicization of the DAF, resulting in waning public sentiment and trust in the military as an institution.' Gaetz's letter emphasizes that the 18-page DEIA policy document, which contains over 5,500 words, mentions "combat" only once, "national security" zero times, and "merit" or "merit-based" also zero times. This glaring omission speaks volumes about where the DAF’s priorities currently lie, says the Congressman. Gaetz contends that the DEIA working group should be eliminated altogether and suggests that the DAF should instead reorient its strategies to confront threats from near-peer adversaries like China and Russia."
The Gateway Pundit — October 24, 2023
EXCLUSIVE: Matt Gaetz Sends Warning to Air Force Over Woke DEIA Strategic Plan, Demands Immediate Action
"Gaetz's letter emphasizes that the 18-page DEIA policy document, which contains over 5,500 words, mentions "combat" only once, "national security" zero times, and "merit" or "merit-based" also zero times. 'This glaring omission speaks volumes about where the DAF's priorities currently lie,' says the Congressman. Gaetz contends that the DEIA working group should be eliminated altogether and suggests that the DAF should instead reorient its strategies to confront threats from near-peer adversaries like China and Russia. 'The working-group analytics team assesses every possible angle DEI could contemplate, except whether an emphasis on DEI could have a negative impact on military recruiting and retention. The failure to even consider this as a possible result in the "wokeification" of the DAF shows a clear disregard for the objective truth.'"
WHAT WE'RE READING
New York Post — October 27, 2023
Jamaal Bowman fire alarm video proves Dems and media were fools for backing him
Fox News — October 26, 2023
Speaker Mike Johnson is a 'first' for House with this rare quality in new job
Breitbart — October 25, 2023
Chuck Grassley: FBI Had 40 Confidential Sources with 'Criminal Information' on the Biden Family
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