Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) remains displeased with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) over the deal he struck with President Joe Biden to raise the debt ceiling.

McCarthy has touted the agreement, which suspends the debt limit for two years while implementing federal spending caps. The legislation also imposes stricter work requirements for recipients of welfare under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, as well as beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Hardline conservatives such as Buck maintain the bill doesn’t do enough to cut spending. Some have even threatened to revolt.

On Wednesday, McCarthy said he isn’t concerned about his speakership.

“So you heard the speaker say to my colleague Manu Raju there that he is not at all concerned about any potential threat to his leadership following this agreement, which you oppose,” Jim Sciutto noted to Buck on CNN News Central. “Should he be concerned?

“Yeah, I think he should be concerned,” Buck replied. “I’m not suggesting that the votes are there to remove the speaker, but the speaker promised that we would operate at 2022 appropriations levels when he got the support to be speaker. He’s now changed that to 2023 levels plus 1%. That’s a major change for a lot of people.”

Buck predicted the legislation will prevail, but that could accelerate debate among some members about whether they will file a motion to vacate the chair, i.e., force a vote on whether to oust McCarthy as speaker.

“You say, though, that there are not the votes,” Sciutto said. “If you raise that motion to vacate, are you saying there’s not the votes there to take him out of the speakership?”

“Well, it only requires five votes if the Democrats all vote for [Minority Leader] Hakeem Jeffries,” Buck replied. “It only requires five votes for Kevin McCarthy not to get elected. What I’m saying is we don’t have a majority of Republicans to vote for somebody else at this point in time.”

Watch above via CNN.

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