Kevin McCarthy was unceremoniously removed from his position as US House speaker on Tuesday, marking a historic moment in American politics.
The decision was the first time in US history, bringing an ignominious end to McCarthy’s brief and tumultuous tenure as the California Republican House Speaker.
McCarthy, in response to the removal, announced on Tuesday night that he would not seek re-election as speaker, paving the way for a new Republican speaker should consensus be reached among party members.
The plan is for Republicans to conduct a vote for a new speaker on the following Wednesday, following a closed-door meeting on October 10th to discuss potential candidates.
The decision to remove McCarthy came following a motion to vacate the chair introduced by Florida Republican congressman Matt Gaetz.
Despite attempts by McCarthy’s Republican allies to thwart the motion, a final vote took place on Tuesday afternoon. In a tense chamber, eight hard-right Republicans joined 208 Democrats in supporting McCarthy’s removal, while 210 Republicans attempted, but failed, to retain him as speaker.
McCarthy needed a simple majority of voting members to maintain his position but fell short of that threshold.
Following the vote, Congressman Steve Womack, an Arkansas Republican presiding over the session, declared, “The resolution is adopted,” adding that “The office of speaker of the House of the United States House of Representatives is hereby declared vacant.”
Patrick McHenry, a North Carolina Republican, was designated by McCarthy as the acting speaker until a new leader is elected.
“In the opinion of the chair, prior to proceeding to the election of a speaker, it will be prudent to first recess for the relative caucus and conferences to meet and discuss the path forward,” McHenry said.
Some Republican leaders criticized McCarthy’s removal, with former Vice President and current presidential candidate Mike Pence expressing concern that it would undermine the GOP.
However, other Republican members of Congress indicated that discussions might ensue about expelling Gaetz from the Republican conference as a consequence for his actions.
The eight Republicans who supported McCarthy’s removal cited various reasons, including dissatisfaction with McCarthy’s leadership and a desire for a fresh start. They argued that the ongoing chaos in Congress would be exacerbated under McCarthy’s continued leadership.
As McCarthy confirmed that he would not seek the speakership again, he expressed a sense of pride and accomplishment in his tenure, despite the challenges he faced. He placed some blame for the internal strife on Gaetz, characterizing it as a “personal” vendetta related to a Congressional ethics inquiry into Gaetz’s behavior.
McCarthy also argued that Gaetz was not a true conservative and accused him of seeking attention and campaign donations through the ordeal.
The removal of McCarthy came after he collaborated with House Democrats to pass a stopgap spending bill to extend government funding.
Gaetz had initiated McCarthy’s removal, citing the spending bill and alleging a “secret side deal” with Joe Biden regarding additional funding for Ukraine.
