In an unprecedented turn of events, Kevin McCarthy has been removed from his position as Speaker of the House.
This marks the first time in U.S. history that a House Speaker has been voted out of office, making McCarthy the shortest-serving speaker since 1876. The groundbreaking decision was made on October 3rd, 2023, following a heated debate and vote on the House floor.
The motion to remove McCarthy was led by Republican Representatives Matt Gaetz and Bob Good. The debate saw participation from several representatives on both sides of the issue.
BREAKING: Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy has been removed as House Speaker.
Here is Matt Gaetz blasting members of Congress for being owned by “lobbyists and special interests” right before McCarthy was ousted.
“I take no lecture on asking patriotic Americans to weigh… pic.twitter.com/bk1jzGCEOR
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 3, 2023
Rep. Tom Cole initiated the discussion, expressing his support for McCarthy and criticizing the MAGA wing party for attempting to create chaos within the Republican ranks. However, Gaetz countered this argument, asserting McCarthy himself was the source of the chaos and could not be trusted.
Rep. Jim Jordan also joined the conversation, praising McCarthy for his solid leadership and crediting him for fulfilling his responsibilities as a Republican. However, Rep. Andy Biggs offered a contrasting perspective, criticizing McCarthy for his handling of border security and fiscal policies.
Biggs accused McCarthy of enabling an open border policy that allowed drugs, criminals, human smugglers, and terrorists to enter the country. He also criticized McCarthy for failing to restore fiscal sanity, thereby maintaining a suboptimal spending path.
The historic vote to oust McCarthy was carried out with a slim margin of 216-210. Interestingly, a few conservatives joined Democrats in voting for his removal. The decision came just nine months after McCarthy had won the gavel following a lengthy negotiation process and 15 rounds of voting.
Among the Republicans who voted for his removal were Reps. Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Tim Burchett, Eli Crane, Bob Good, Nancy Mace, and Matt Rosendale.
If we can remove Kevin McCarthy as Speaker for not fulfilling his end of the deal, then we can definitely expel Jamaal Bowman for committing a felony by pulling the fire alarm pic.twitter.com/vzCCTS7424
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) October 3, 2023
Following McCarthy’s removal, North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry has been appointed as Speaker pro tempore until a new Speaker is elected. This unprecedented situation has left many wondering about the future functioning of the House.
The motion to remove McCarthy was brought to the floor by House Leadership and was preceded by a 15-minute vote on a motion to table Gaetz’s Motion to Vacate. However, McCarthy and his supporters lost this vote by a margin of 208-218.
The House then debated the Motion for an hour before proceeding to the roll call vote.
This historic event marks a significant shift in the political landscape of the U.S. House of Representatives. It reflects the deep divisions amongst Republicans and raises questions about the future direction of the party. As the dust settles on this momentous decision, all eyes will be on the House as it navigates through this uncharted territory.
