United States House of Representatives oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

The United States House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House. With a 216 to 210 vote, this is the first time in U.S. history that the House Speaker has been removed, according to the Associated Press.

The last time a House Speaker saw a vote for their removal was in 1910, when republican Speaker Joseph Cannon defiantly told his opponents to make a motion against him. Although reforms to House rules were made, Cannon remained in power until he lost his bid for reelection in 1911. 

The decision to remove McCarthy followed close behind President Joe Biden’s signing of a stopgap bill that prevented a government shutdown. McCarthy was largely instrumental in the bill’s passage, which will preserve current government spending levels for 45 days. It did not include aid to Ukraine, who remains in an armed conflict with Russia, instead allotting $16 billion for “disaster relief,” the Government Executive wrote. Congress approved the bill 335 to 91 in the House, and 88 to 9 in the U.S. Senate.

McCarthy faced initial retaliation from House members surrounding his efforts to approve the bill. Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz called for McCarthy’s removal and made the motion to put his position on the chopping block. 

Seven House Republicans sided with Gaetz and all House Democrats to remove McCarthy. None of the Republican representatives from Ohio voted in support of the motion, including Rep. Jim Jordan who voiced his support for McCarthy.

McCarthy has seen a tumultuous and historical tenure, having finally secured his position after four days and 15 rounds of voting. The longest vote for speaker occurred in 1859, when Massachusetts Rep. Nathaniel Banks secured the position after 133 rounds of voting.

McCarthy gained the winning votes after discussions with the Freedom Caucus, a heavily conservative congressional caucus. Jordan currently sits as the caucus’s vice chairperson. One of these concessions McCarthy made to secure his vote, which allowed a House member to call for the speaker’s removal, ultimately led to his undoing.

Representative Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina, will serve as interim Speaker of the House until a vote for McCarthy’s replacement occurs.

In other congressional news, California Gov. Gavin Newsom chose Laphonza Butler to fill the shoes of late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein died on Friday, Sept. 29, leaving behind a senate seat she had filled for just over three decades.