Kevin McCarthy ousted as US House Speaker
In a first-of-its-kind move, Republican Kevin McCarthy was ousted as the Speaker of the United States (US) House of Representatives. This followed internal turmoil in the grand old party and a power struggle between 58-year-old McCarthy and a group of far-right members. The vote to sack McCarthy was initiated by far-right Republican congressman and Florida representative Matt Gaetz.
Why does this story matter?
The development came days after reports suggested McCarthy could lose his role as speaker. On Saturday, the US Congress passed a stopgap funding bill just hours before federal agencies' funding expired, averting a government shutdown that would have crippled many services, strained federal employees, and roiled politics. Reportedly, McCarthy abandoned his party hardliners' insistence that any bill pass the chamber with only Republican votes.
Senior Democrats absent from vote
The removal process unfolded in the usual alphabetical roll-call vote manner, and McCarthy was removed with 216 to 210 votes. While 208 Democrats and eight Republicans voted for McCarthy's ouster, seven House members were missing from the proceedings. Notably, senior Democrats, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Cori Bush, Mary Peltola, and Emilia Sykes, were also absent from the historic vote.
Gaetz challenges McCarthy's conservative label
Gaetz countered McCarthy's assertion that the eight representatives who voted against him are not true conservatives. He asserted that his opposition to McCarthy stemmed from genuine concerns about his leadership, not ideological differences. McCarthy also launched a scathing attack on Gaetz, pointing out the investigations against him for sexual misconduct, drug usage, and misuse of campaign funds.
Pat McHenry appointed as speaker
Representative Patrick McHenry was appointed as a temporary replacement. Notably, McHenry, a close ally of McCarthy, had helped him secure the dias in January. The North Carolina Republican will serve as the acting House speaker or speaker pro tempore. It is unclear how long a US speaker pro tempore can remain in charge before a permanent speaker is put in place by the chamber.
Here's what is next for McCarthy
Following his ouster, McCarthy said he would not run for the speaker position again. "I fought for what I believe in. I believe I can continue to fight, but maybe differently," the grand old party leader told reporters. McCarthy's 269-day stint as House speaker is the third-shortest tenure in American history. Theodore Medad Pomeroy has the shortest term, lasting only one day.
McCarthy's X Post
McCarthy's team reaches out to Democrats
To garner bipartisan support, McCarthy's team reached out to moderate Democrats through discreet channels. However, there were no willing participants. Some Democrats stated that they regarded McCarthy as untrustworthy after he violated a May spending agreement with President Joe Biden. "Let them wallow in their pigsty of incompetence," Representative Pramila Jayapal told reporters before the vote.
