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In a historic move, the House of Representatives ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy, less than nine months after his hard-fought victory in a 15-round floor battle.
The vote, which ended with a tally of 216-210, resulted in the removal of the California Republican. McCarthy remained resolute, declaring that he would “never give up.” Subsequently, the position of the House Speaker, which is second in line for US presidential succession, was declared vacant, reported NBC news.
In a first-of-its-kind action in US history, all 208 Democrats joined forces with just eight Republican dissenters to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s chair.
Despite 210 Republicans voting to retain McCarthy, their numbers were insufficient to thwart the efforts led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. Gaetz had been accusing McCarthy of reneging on commitments to conservative spending cuts for weeks.
Reflecting on the successful vote, Gaetz remarked, “We heard Speaker McCarthy say that he wanted us to ‘Bring it on!’ So I guess we did.
The historic vote plunged the GOP-controlled House into disarray, leaving lawmakers grappling with the next steps.
Adding to the surprise, Financial Services Chair Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., a staunch ally of McCarthy, was announced as the speaker pro tempore.
McHenry’s appointment came from a secret list provided by McCarthy to the clerk in January, in anticipation of a vacancy.
McHenry assumed the speaker’s role in an interim capacity, expressing his frustration by forcefully slamming the gavel.
In a closed-door meeting after the vote, McCarthy informed his fellow GOP colleagues that he would not seek the position of speaker again, acknowledging that he lacked the support needed to overcome his political adversaries.
Shortly thereafter, during a crowded news conference, McCarthy criticized Gaetz and other dissidents, labeling them as phony conservatives, reported NBC news.
According to McCarthy, “They are not conservatives. They don’t get to claim that title just because they are upset and causing chaos. That’s not the party I align with. The party of Reagan believed in governing conservatively based on principles.”
Before the vote, prominent McCarthy supporters voiced their support, with House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., describing McCarthy as a “happy warrior” possessing a unique American spirit. Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., lauded him as the “greatest speaker in modern history.”
From the Democratic side, Matt Gaetz responded, explaining that he was forced to speak from there because Republicans had blocked access to the three GOP microphones on the floor.
For weeks, Gaetz had been threatening to call a vote to remove McCarthy from office if he relied on Democratic votes to pass a short-term government funding bill. When McCarthy did just that to prevent a government shutdown the previous weekend, Gaetz took action.
According to House rules, McCarthy had until Wednesday to address the resolution filed by Gaetz, a conservative Republican and staunch supporter of Donald Trump.
However, McCarthy and his allies chose to swiftly tackle the “motion to vacate” issue, which had consumed Capitol Hill.
McCarthy acknowledged the political landscape, understanding where people stood, but he stressed his belief in the House institution. He argued that ousting a speaker with the support of 99% of their conference, who had kept the government open and paid the troops, would be detrimental to the House.
During a closed-door debate earlier that day, House Democrats announced their decision to unite and vote against McCarthy, rather than saving him from the revolt.
Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., made it clear after the meeting that they were not attempting to save Kevin McCarthy.
During the Democratic meeting, leadership played a recording of McCarthy’s Sunday interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” where he suggested that Democrats wanted to shut down the government during last week’s standoff. Many rank-and-file Democrats were angered by his remarks.
During the deliberations, Democrats received a variety of opinions, but as Rep. Richard Neal from Massachusetts noted, there was no one who came to Kevin McCarthy’s defense.
The vote to remove McCarthy was conducted by roll call, involving all 426 present members standing and verbally stating their votes.
McCarthy’s removal evoked a range of emotions among his allies. Rep. Stephanie Bice from Oklahoma was seen wiping away tears on the House floor, while others privately expressed their frustrations to reporters in the corridors.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia, a McCarthy supporter who has had public disagreements with Gaetz, encouraged the ousted speaker to consider running for the position again.
Greene said, “No one has come forward, and no one has shown any interest in running for speaker. No one commands the level of support within the conference that Kevin
The vote, which ended with a tally of 216-210, resulted in the removal of the California Republican. McCarthy remained resolute, declaring that he would “never give up.” Subsequently, the position of the House Speaker, which is second in line for US presidential succession, was declared vacant, reported NBC news.
In a first-of-its-kind action in US history, all 208 Democrats joined forces with just eight Republican dissenters to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s chair.
Despite 210 Republicans voting to retain McCarthy, their numbers were insufficient to thwart the efforts led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. Gaetz had been accusing McCarthy of reneging on commitments to conservative spending cuts for weeks.
Reflecting on the successful vote, Gaetz remarked, “We heard Speaker McCarthy say that he wanted us to ‘Bring it on!’ So I guess we did.
The historic vote plunged the GOP-controlled House into disarray, leaving lawmakers grappling with the next steps.
Adding to the surprise, Financial Services Chair Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., a staunch ally of McCarthy, was announced as the speaker pro tempore.
McHenry’s appointment came from a secret list provided by McCarthy to the clerk in January, in anticipation of a vacancy.
McHenry assumed the speaker’s role in an interim capacity, expressing his frustration by forcefully slamming the gavel.
In a closed-door meeting after the vote, McCarthy informed his fellow GOP colleagues that he would not seek the position of speaker again, acknowledging that he lacked the support needed to overcome his political adversaries.
Shortly thereafter, during a crowded news conference, McCarthy criticized Gaetz and other dissidents, labeling them as phony conservatives, reported NBC news.
According to McCarthy, “They are not conservatives. They don’t get to claim that title just because they are upset and causing chaos. That’s not the party I align with. The party of Reagan believed in governing conservatively based on principles.”
Before the vote, prominent McCarthy supporters voiced their support, with House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., describing McCarthy as a “happy warrior” possessing a unique American spirit. Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., lauded him as the “greatest speaker in modern history.”
From the Democratic side, Matt Gaetz responded, explaining that he was forced to speak from there because Republicans had blocked access to the three GOP microphones on the floor.
For weeks, Gaetz had been threatening to call a vote to remove McCarthy from office if he relied on Democratic votes to pass a short-term government funding bill. When McCarthy did just that to prevent a government shutdown the previous weekend, Gaetz took action.
According to House rules, McCarthy had until Wednesday to address the resolution filed by Gaetz, a conservative Republican and staunch supporter of Donald Trump.
However, McCarthy and his allies chose to swiftly tackle the “motion to vacate” issue, which had consumed Capitol Hill.
McCarthy acknowledged the political landscape, understanding where people stood, but he stressed his belief in the House institution. He argued that ousting a speaker with the support of 99% of their conference, who had kept the government open and paid the troops, would be detrimental to the House.
During a closed-door debate earlier that day, House Democrats announced their decision to unite and vote against McCarthy, rather than saving him from the revolt.
Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., made it clear after the meeting that they were not attempting to save Kevin McCarthy.
During the Democratic meeting, leadership played a recording of McCarthy’s Sunday interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” where he suggested that Democrats wanted to shut down the government during last week’s standoff. Many rank-and-file Democrats were angered by his remarks.
During the deliberations, Democrats received a variety of opinions, but as Rep. Richard Neal from Massachusetts noted, there was no one who came to Kevin McCarthy’s defense.
The vote to remove McCarthy was conducted by roll call, involving all 426 present members standing and verbally stating their votes.
McCarthy’s removal evoked a range of emotions among his allies. Rep. Stephanie Bice from Oklahoma was seen wiping away tears on the House floor, while others privately expressed their frustrations to reporters in the corridors.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia, a McCarthy supporter who has had public disagreements with Gaetz, encouraged the ousted speaker to consider running for the position again.
Greene said, “No one has come forward, and no one has shown any interest in running for speaker. No one commands the level of support within the conference that Kevin
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