In a historic move, Republican Kevin McCarthy has been ousted from the role of Speaker of the US House of Representatives following a vote by lawmakers. This marks the first time in US history that a Speaker has been removed through a motion to vacate.
The motion to remove McCarthy was filed by Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz after months of internal strife within the Republican Party, particularly between McCarthy and the party’s right-wing factions.
During the debate on the leadership challenge, lawmakers cast their votes, resulting in a tally of 216 in favor of ousting McCarthy and 210 against. Notably, this marks the first instance where representatives have actively chosen to remove a sitting Speaker from office.
Despite some deliberation, Democrats opted not to support McCarthy, and they voted alongside eight Republican defectors to remove him from office.
Currently, there is no clear successor emerging to take over the role of Speaker of the House.
The decision to remove McCarthy follows his recent controversial move to narrowly avoid a government shutdown over the weekend, which had angered certain factions within the Republican Party. This prompted Congressman Gaetz to file the formal motion for his removal.
The announcement of McCarthy’s removal was met with audible gasps in the chamber. Following the announcement, several Republicans approached McCarthy to shake his hand.
In the roll call vote that ensued, 216 members, including eight Republicans, voted to remove McCarthy from the Speaker’s chair, while 210 representatives, all of whom were Republicans, voted to retain him.
This significant development represents a victory for the rebellious faction of right-wing Republicans led by Matt Gaetz, as their efforts resulted in the ousting of McCarthy from the Speaker’s position. The eight Republican representatives who voted against McCarthy are:
- 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
- Matt Rosendale of Montana
With all Democrats voting to vacate the Speaker’s chair, the eight defections from the Republican side proved decisive in McCarthy’s removal, as he needed fewer than six Republican votes to retain his position.
