In a bold and brazen move, an ally of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is prepping a no-confidence vote to put an end to the political “games” threatening the House leader’s position. Representative Garret Graves (R-LA), a steadfast supporter of McCarthy, revealed his plans in a conversation with CNN.

“I drafted a motion to vacate for the speaker,” Graves stated defiantly, “I’ve got it sitting on my desk right now.” His intention is clear: to challenge McCarthy’s critics within the GOP to either put their money where their mouth is or cease their incessant threats against the Speaker’s leadership.

As Congress contends with a potential government shutdown due to disagreements over federal agency spending, whispers of a challenge to McCarthy’s role as Speaker have been circulating. These rumors have only added to the mounting tension within the House of Representatives.

The most outspoken critic of McCarthy’s leadership has been Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). Gaetz has threatened that McCarthy could face a motion to vacate if he fails to adhere to a “deal” established in January. This deal, according to Gaetz, included commitments on spending, term limits, and the release of the tapes from January 6th.

Graves’ bold move and sharp comments were directed at these hardliners within the GOP who have opposed a short-term spending measure. This measure would provide lawmakers with more time to complete the appropriations process for the upcoming fiscal year.

“They’ve sort of created this quandary that we’re in right now, and it’s something that we have been trying to avoid now for months,” Graves lamented. He even went as far as accusing these members of forming a “partnership” with Democrats to further their “personal agendas.”

McCarthy’s top ally told me he has drafted a motion to oust him from the speakership simply to have a vote on it and get it off the table so critics will stop dangling it.
“Get your little games over with,” he said. https://t.co/aNxPznIi59

MORE at 11amET on @insidepolitics pic.twitter.com/9L2hepzW3G

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 24, 2023

Under the current House rules package, only a single member is needed to initiate the process that could lead to a no-confidence vote in the Speaker. A simple majority is required for such a vote to succeed, meaning a few dissatisfied Republicans could team up with Democrats to oust McCarthy.

Despite these threats, McCarthy remains undeterred. He stated last week that the “threats don’t matter” and pledged to “continue just to focus on what’s the right thing to do for the American people.”

With this looming no-confidence vote, it’s clear that the political games in the House are reaching a boiling point. Whether this move by Graves will quell the unrest or fuel the fire remains to be seen.