The U.S. House of Representatives has decided to oust Kevin McCarthy from his position as Speaker.
The U.S. House of Representatives has decided to oust Kevin McCarthy from his position as Speaker.
WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, in a landmark development, a coalition of dissident members from both the Republican and Democratic parties in the U.S. House cast their votes to oust Kevin McCarthy from his role as speaker. This decision comes just nine months after McCarthy secured the gavel following extensive negotiations with the GOP’s right flank and 15 rounds of voting.
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Following the vote, the House faced uncertain terrain, as no speaker had ever before been removed by the House. North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry was named speaker pro tempore until the election of a new speaker.
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The vote, which concluded with a tally of 216-210 on a motion to vacate, marked the culmination of months of growing dissent within a small group of House Republicans.
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Several Republican representatives, including Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eli Crane of Arizona, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Matt Rosendale of Montana, voted to remove McCarthy from his position. They also voted against tabling the motion, which would have halted the process from moving forward.
Warren Davidson of Ohio, Cory Mills of Florida, and Victoria Spartz of Indiana opposed the motion to table but supported retaining McCarthy as speaker. In contrast, all House Democrats present voted in favor of declaring the speaker’s office vacant.
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This marked only the third time in history that a motion to vacate had been filed, with previous instances occurring in March 1910 and July 2015.
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Before the vote, McCarthy acknowledged the likelihood of his removal, emphasizing his support for passing a bipartisan short-term spending bill to prevent a government shutdown. He affirmed, “I firmly stand by that choice, and ultimately if it costs me my job, I accept it. I will persist in my efforts.
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The dissension within the Republican ranks primarily stemmed from McCarthy’s failure to uphold a private deal made in January, which led to his speakership. Critics, including some members of the Freedom Caucus, accused him of compromising with President Joe Biden on various issues, such as avoiding a default on the nation’s debt and relying on Democratic votes to pass short-term government spending.
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Matt Gaetz, in particular, questioned McCarthy’s involvement in brokering a private deal related to additional aid for Ukraine and the inclusion of border security in those discussions. Gaetz argued for separate considerations of these issues.
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House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries released a letter just before the vote, announcing that House Democrats would support the Republican Motion to Vacate the Chair due to concerns about the GOP’s alignment with “MAGA extremism.”
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While the dissenting group of Republican lawmakers represented only a small portion of the House Republican Conference, many of their colleagues rallied behind McCarthy, emphasizing his role in preventing a government shutdown and advocating for the completion of appropriations bills.
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Despite the contentious vote and internal party divisions, the House faced the challenge of moving forward with legislative responsibilities, including funding the government and addressing the crisis in Ukraine. Democrats expressed concerns about McCarthy’s trustworthiness and his previous actions that had eroded their support.
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In the midst of this political turmoil, the fate of McCarthy’s speakership remained uncertain, and the House entered uncharted territory with its historic vote.
