Mike Rogers is restrained by Richard Hudson after getting into an argument with Matt Gaetz as House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy walks away.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Alabama congressman Mike Rogers posted a mea culpa to his colleague, Matt Gaetz.
Rogers was seen lunging at Gaetz in a tense moment on the House floor on Friday night.
Rogers said in a Sunday tweet he regrets “briefly” losing his temper, and that he appreciates Gaetz’s “understanding.”
Rep. Mike Rogers has apologised to Florida congressman Rep. Matt Gaetz for lunging at him on the House floor.
“@RepMattGaetz and I have a long and productive working relationship, that I am sure will continue,” Rogers tweeted on January 8. “I regret that I briefly lost my temper on the House Floor Friday evening and appreciate Matt’s kind understanding.”
—Mike Rogers (@RepMikeRogersAL) January 8, 2023
Rogers was responding to a tweet from the Florida congressman about the incident. In a tweet on January 8, Gaetz said he and Rogers have had “a six-year productive, working relationship.”
“We’re going to work together wonderfully going forward. I don’t think there should be any punishment or reprisal just because he had an animated moment. He has my forgiveness,” Gaetz wrote in his January 8 tweet.
Rogers was seen lunging at Gaetz on the House floor on Friday night. This was after Rep. Kevin McCarthy failed to be elected speaker for the 14th consecutive time.
—Andrew P. Scott (@apscott) January 7, 2023
This is how things went down on Friday according to a C-SPAN video of the proceedings: McCarthy strode up the aisle of the House floor after Gaetz voted “present” during the 14th ballot, leaving the California congressman short of the last vote he needed to get elected speaker. McCarthy was then seen engaging in a tense conversation with Gaetz amongst a huddle of Republicans on the House floor.
But after McCarthy walked away, Rogers was seen angrily confronting Gaetz. Rogers then lunged forward, enraged, but was held back by North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson.
—philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 7, 2023
It is unclear what Rogers said to Gaetz during the near-brawl.
The Washington Post reported Saturday that Rogers expects to be chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, which Gaetz serves on. The Post reported, citing two people familiar with the matter, that Rogers was upset over how the GOP leadership was planning to offer Gaetz control of one of the Armed Services subcommittees. An unnamed lawmaker who spoke to The Post said Rogers thought there were other congresspeople more qualified to hold the position.
Representatives for Gaetz and Rogers did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment.