Gaetz's absence from House met with cheers

Members of the 119th Congress cheered former Representative Matt Gaetz's absence from the session on Friday, applauding as his resignation letter was read into the record.

The formality, in which acting House Clerk Kevin McCumber announced Gaetz’s intention not to return to Congress, created significant buzz on the House floor.

“The clerk is in receipt of a letter from the honorable Matt Gaetz of the state of Florida, indicating that he will not serve in the House in the 119th Congress,” McCumber said, drawing cheers and laughter in the chamber. Multiple Democrats and at least a handful of Republicans could be seen applauding in a C-SPAN clip.

The former Florida congressman quickly resigned from his position after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to lead the Department of Justice.That nomination was short-lived and plagued with scandal, ultimately ending when Gaetz bowed out of the process.

Gaetz left Congress just two days before a House Ethics Committee report on his alleged sexual misconduct was set to be released. That report found “substantial evidence” that Gaetz broke House rules and committed statutory rape.

Gaetz’s obstructionist conduct and general demeanor earned him widespread disdain on Capitol Hill. Gaetz was the architect of a floor fight that ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy later accused Gaetz of toppling his leadership after he refused to step in and squash the Ethics probe, saying the first removal of a House speaker in U.S. history was launched “because [Gaetz] slept with a 17-year-old.”