In a historic turn of events, members of the House of Representatives took a groundbreaking vote to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his leadership position. The move came in the wake of McCarthy’s failure to quell a rebellion within the conservative wing of the Republican Party.
The motion to oust McCarthy was initiated by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in response to McCarthy’s collaboration with Democrats to avert a government shutdown. Gaetz’s move garnered the support of 216 votes in favor of removing McCarthy from his role.
Prominent among the Republican members voting for his ouster were Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Tim Burchett, Eli Crane, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good, Nancy Mace, and Matt Rosendale.
Patrick McHenry (R-NC) has been named interim Speaker of the House.
In recent times, there have been instances of Speakers resigning due to internal party pressure, as seen with John A. Boehner in 2015 and Newt Gingrich in 1998.
While the House has never witnessed the successful ousting of a Speaker through a floor vote, tensions akin to such an event haven’t been seen for over a century.
The most notable precedent dates back to 1910 when Speaker Joseph G. Cannon (R-Ill.) grappled with an intraparty uprising. While this revolt did not succeed, it exacerbated divisions within the party and ultimately paved the way for a Democratic takeover.
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