McCarthy ousted as Speaker of the House as Democrats join GOP rebels

by WorldTribune Staff, October 3, 2023

For the first time in U.S. history, the Speaker of the House has been voted out.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy, California Repubilcan, was voted out of his leadership role Tuesday afternoon as every present Democrat joined eight GOP rebels in voting for Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz’s motion to vacate.

Kevin McCarthy was ousted as Speaker of the House on Tuesday afternoon in a 216-210 vote.

The final vote was 216 to 210 in favor of McCarthy’s ouster.

“The office of the speaker of the House of Representatives is hereby declared vacant,” declared Rep. Tom Emmer, Minnesota Republican, who was presiding over the chamber for the vote.

Following McCarthy’s ouster, the House will be governed by a temporary speaker, chosen from a list provided to the House Clerk earlier this year by McCarthy for use in the event of an emergency. The temporary speaker’s authority will be limited to presiding over the speaker election.

The House will later conduct votes to elect a new speaker with McCarthy vying to win re-election to the post, reports say.

The most likely successor aside from McCarthy are his top deputies, Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana or Majority Whip Emmer.

Gaetz and the GOP rebels had said that McCarthy did not uphold conservative priorities in the fiscal 2024 funding fight and did nothing to tame runaway spending.

“Our current debt and our spending trajectory is unsustainable. We need a speaker — ideally somebody who doesn’t want to be speaker and hasn’t pursued that at all costs, for his entire adult life, who will meet the moment and do everything possible to fight for the country,” Virginia Republican Rep. Bob Good said.

Republicans joining Gaetz in voting to remove McCarthy were Reps. Good, Eli Crane of Arizona, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Matt Rosendale of Montana, and Nancy Mace of South Carolina.

Burchett said in a video message posted on social media he decided to vote against McCarthy because the speaker allowed Congress to take an August vacation despite the government’s $33 trillion debt and the looming shutdown deadline.

“There’s no urgency,” Burchett said. “Enough is enough. I hate losing Kevin McCarthy as a friend but I worry about losing our country.”

Gaetz reminded lawmakers he takes no campaign cash from lobbyists and said he’s defending the rights of every American to afford a decent life. He said Washington must change to make that happen.

“You’re no martyr!” one Republican shouted at Gaetz, who shot back, “Boo all you want, you who have hollowed out this town and have borrowed against the future of our future generations. I’ll be happy to fund my political operation through the work of hardworking Americans $10 and $20 and $30 at a time and you all keep showing up at the lobbyists’ fundraisers and see how that goes for you.”

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