Matt Gaetz Proposes C-SPAN Cameras Return to House Proceedings
WASHINGTON, D.C. (FLV) – U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-FL, is proposing an amendment to bring back C-SPAN cameras to the House floor for regular proceedings, Fox News reports.
Gaetz pointed to the widespread attention paid to proceedings on deciding who the House Speaker would be, with California U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy failing multiple attempts before ultimately clinching the position after making concessions to some Republican members.
“Last week, America watched in real time how our government is functioning,” he explained. I’m introducing an amendment to allow @CSPAN cameras on the House floor at all times. Broader transparency in Congress is a net positive, and we need more of it.”
The Florida representative told Fox constituents gave him a “lot of feedback” on “how interesting” the Speaker proceedings were.
“You were able to see in real time how our government is functioning, what alliances are being created, what discussions are being had, what animated moments drive the action. And the pool view of the Congress is antiquated and a little boomer-field.”
Fox reports the amendment being proposed requires the Speaker of the House to allow at least four cameras operated by C-SPAN to send out live feeds and recordings of floor proceedings.
Before the proposed change, the House Recording Studio operated cameras and sent their feed to C-SPAN.
“I have talked to a handful of colleagues and I have yet to encounter one who didn’t views he broader transparency as a net positive. “It’s interesting to see how our leaders communicate with one another, and it’s humanizing,” Gaetz went on. “I had constituents reach out to me about a friendly chat that the country observed me having with [Democratic Rep.] Sheila Jackson Lee. And while Sheila and I certainly have had very high-octane moments in the House Judiciary Committee, and while neither one of us like to give an inch when it comes to effective argumentation, I’ve also found her to be a warm person interpersonally.”
One moment caught on C-SPAN cameras during the battle for House Speaker that went viral was when Gaetz and McCarthy seemingly confronted each other during the vote Jan. 6., exchanging words until things got heated and one member was restrained.
Ultimately, once more concessions were received, Gaetz voted ‘present,’ and other representatives like Anna Paulina Luna and Byron Donalds from Florida backed McCarthy.
“What I want you guys to know is that with all this happening right now this is a good faith effort on behalf of the American people and they deserve this conversation, they deserve this representation, they deserve this,” Luna said.
Donalds said that he trusts McCarthy will “do the job necessary to lead our conference and lead the House of Representatives.”
“And…in this institution, trust is one of those things, to quote Ronald Reagan, that you always have to verify. And what this agreement does, it allows the members of Congress to verify the trust that we’re instilling in Kevin McCarthy. Or that I perceive we are going to instill,” he explained.
