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Members of the House of Representatives voted out House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday.
This ejects McCarthy from the role as the senior member from the largest party in the lower house of Congress.
The motion to vacate the California Republican was filed by fellow GOP Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida.
On Monday, Gaetz announced in the House: “I have enough Republicans where at this point next week, one of two things will happen: Kevin McCarthy won’t be speaker of the House, or he’ll be the speaker of the House working at the pleasure of the Democrats.”
McCarthy’s reputation as a comparatively moderate Republican, who has in some cases shown a willingness to compromise with President Joe Biden, ultimately led to his downfall among conservatives.
Compromise on budget and shutdown prompted attempted removal
Earlier on Tuesday, McCarthy announced that he intended to conduct the ballot in the chamber’s first round of votes in the afternoon.
The move comes just days after the passing of a 45-day, stop-gap funding bill to avoid a government shutdown.
Gaetz was angered that McCarthy passed the measure with Democratic votes and accused him of working for President Biden, and not his Republican colleagues.
He was also miffed that McCarthy had come to an agreement with Biden over further funding for Ukraine despite such finances being struck from the emergency 45-day bill.
Republicans opposed to the idea of ousting McCarthy, with no clear plan on what happens if he falls, tried to push for a last-minute motion to table the vote and cancel the process on Tuesday. But this motion failed by a 208-218 vote, with 11 Republicans allowing it to proceed.
Gaetz a thorn in McCarthy’s side from the start
McCarthy’s road to the speakership was arduous and his hold on power has been hanging by a thread throughout his tenure.
Gaetz led opposition to McCarthy taking the gavel and forced him to make concessions to the far-right Freedom Caucus — of which Gaetz is a member — before he would stop blocking him.
One of those concessions was to make it possible for any single member of the House to bring a motion to vacate the speakership, making McCarthy’s position inherently unstable even after he secured it.
Republicans have a narrow 221-212 majority in the House. McCarthy could only afford to lose five GOP votes in the simple majority ballot — depending on whether Democrats decide to vote for him, against him, or abstain.
Open outcome
When McCarthy was appointed in January, he needed a record 15 rounds of voting before assuming the role. He also risks becoming the first House leader ever voted out of the post.
Ousting the ambitious Californian threatens to throw the House into total chaos, as no Republican has declared a willingness to take up the gavel.
Earlier Tuesday McCarthy said: “I’m an optimist. I put money on myself.” That confidence was ultimately misplaced.
js/msh, jsi (AP, dpa, Reuters)
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