Kevin McCarthy removed as US House speaker

[bilateralrope]

Kevin McCarthy removed as US House speaker in unprecedented vote

Marianna Sotomayor, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Amy B Wang, Paul Kane and Mariana Alfaro
20:41, Oct 04 2023

The Republican Party’s Kevin McCarthy has been ousted as US House speaker after failing to withstand a rebellion among far-right dissidents, the first time in history the House voted to remove its leader

McCarthy later announced he would not seek the position again, setting up an expected intra-party battle for the position second in line to the presidency.

Wednesday’s (NZT) dramatic vote was the culmination of a bitter power struggle between McCarthy and hard-line Republican (GOP) politicians that has persisted throughout his roughly nine months as speaker, after the Californian helped lead the GOP to a narrow majority in last year's US midterm elections.

It was a step never before taken in the more-than-240-year history of the US House of Representatives, pushed by an increasingly radicalised Republican faction that, emboldened since the rise of the tea party, has repeatedly shut down the government and led the country to the brink of a default on its debt.

House Republicans now need to select a new leader and find consensus for funding the government by mid-November or again risk a shutdown.

McCarthy's removal is an earthquake for the fractious House GOP conference, which has been marked by long-standing tensions among ideological factions that are now expected to come to a head. The House has adjourned until Tuesday, when candidate forums will begin for those who seek the speakership. House Republican also wanted time for emotions to settle and to prevent increased animosity among GOP lawmakers if they remained together this week.

The divided conference had barely held together since the beginning of the year, when it took McCarthy 15 rounds to win the speaker's gavel. The threat of a possible ouster by the far-right faction was an undercurrent to every decision he made.

Often tested by the narrow majority, scores of McCarthy's House Republican allies had warned throughout the year that he would probably face a motion to vacate the speakership - the procedural tool used to oust him - after far-right holdouts demanded a lower threshold for such a motion during McCarthy's leadership election in January.


Many of those Republicans predicted McCarthy never would be able to appease the hard-liners, especially after the government funding deadline since many of McCarthy's promises hinged on curbing spending significantly.

"I may have lost the vote today," McCarthy said Tuesday. "But as I walked out of this chamber, I feel fortunate to have served Americans."

Democrats voted as a bloc against McCarthy after he refused to ask them for help and publicly dismissed trying to become a coalition speaker for all in exchange for their support.

All Democrats present joined Republicans Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Tim Burchett, Elijah Crane, Matt Gaetz , Bob Good, Nancy Mace and Matthew M. Rosendale to eject McCarthy.

As the 216-210 vote was called, McCarthy smiled and stared from the House floor at the speaker's chair - once his - that oversees the chamber.

Patrick T. McHenry is now acting speaker until the House elects a new speaker. He was selected for the role by McCarthy, his close friend, in a process that requires the speaker to secretly select who would be acting speaker if they were to ever be vacated from the role.

The motion to remove McCarthy was brought Monday by Gaetz, who argued his position in the chamber Tuesday as scores of Republicans booed him or accused him of falsely portraying himself as a martyr. A majority of House Republicans have staunchly defended McCarthy and denounced Gaetz. The disdain was palpable in the chamber: Gaetz was prevented from sitting with Republicans during the hour of impassioned debate.

"Unfortunately 4 percent of our conference sided with all the Democrats and dictate who can be the Republican speaker of the House," McCarthy said in a stemwinder of a news conference.

Gaetz remained defiant after more Republicans defended McCarthy than argued for his removal.

"I'll make this argument at any desk in this building, from the well, from the chair. I'll make it on every street corner in this country - that Washington must change," Gaetz said from a podium on the Democratic side of the chamber.

Moments after the vote, House Republicans began to privately whisper of ejecting Gaetz from the GOP conference. Smaller groups, such as the moderate Republican Governance Group, also began discussing removing Mace from their ranks as her vote against McCarthy was viewed as an act of betrayal.

Democrats played a determinative role in the ouster of McCarthy after deciding that they did not trust him; they view him as a figure who has eroded democracy during his time as speaker and previously as minority leader.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on urged moderate Republicans to break away from the "extremists" in their party and join with Democrats "to move the Congress and the country forward."

Jeffries's call came after a rousing closed-door Democratic caucus meeting where cellphones were not allowed and members discussed how to address the impending vote.

"We are ready, willing and able to work together with our Republican colleagues, but it is on them to join us," Jeffries told reporters after the hours-long caucus meeting.

Democrats emerged from the meeting unified. They hold McCarthy responsible for placating President Donald Trump after the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, visiting Trump at his Florida resort soon after the president left office and trying to stymie the House select committee tasked with investigating the insurrection. They are furious that he walked back a deal with President Biden to lift the debt limit. What pushed them over the edge was McCarthy blaming Democrats for wanting to shut down the government the day after all but one Democrat voted for a stopgap spending bill last week.

While Republicans had left their morning meeting hopeful that they would still be able to convince some Democrats to vote "present" on a motion to table the resolution to oust McCarthy, that hope quickly dissipated during a meeting of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. Republicans spent more than an hour trying to convince the Democrats in that group - seen as most willing to cross the aisle - that voting to keep a speaker in place was critical to save the House as an institution, even as lawmakers from both parties admitted that the political environment has devolved over the years.

Democrats there echoed the same concerns espoused by the entire caucus - that McCarthy had already allowed the House to sink into political chaos, starting during his time as minority leader after Jan. 6, 2021. Democrats in the Problem Solvers meeting also said their colleagues were angry that McCarthy blamed Democrats for failing to help fund the government.

McCarthy "dug his own grave," said one person leaving the Problem Solvers meeting, speaking on the condition of anonymity to detail sensitive conversations.

Republicans offered Democrats the chance to weigh in on potential changes to the House rules, which Republicans see as an opportunity to again increase the threshold necessary to move to vacate the speaker. But Democrats largely said they would not help bail out McCarthy because he hadn't asked for their help. And many Democrats in the bipartisan meeting wouldn't agree to conditions Republicans promised because McCarthy has previously gone back on deals he has made.

"It's a clusterf...," said one GOP lawmaker emerging from the meeting, before saying House Republicans were preparing for McCarthy to be removed.

In the broader caucus meeting Tuesday, rank-and-file Democrats spoke about various indignities they said McCarthy had brought upon the House, according to lawmakers, directly rejecting the argument from McCarthy allies that they needed to support the speaker to save it.

"The issues of Kevin McCarthy are the same ones that have existed - a lack of trust, giving the gavel to extremists in his caucus and his failure to defend democracy," House Minority Whip Katherine M Clark said.

Democrats do not have any responsibility to elect a Republican speaker, Mark Takano told reporters. "We don't have a particular obligation to save this speaker."

Inside the meeting, Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar showed a video of McCarthy on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday, in which he attempted to blame Democrats for wanting to shut down the government. The charge was a misrepresentation of the events of the past several weeks, when House Republicans were unable to fund the government with only GOP support. All but one House Democrat voted for the eventual short-term government funding bill.

Democrats inside the room were "outraged" at McCarthy's charge, according to Gerald E Connolly. "His performance was a very clarifying event for Democrats," said Connolly.

Elissa Slotkin, who is close to Democratic leadership and also running for Senate, intimated after leaving the caucus meeting that Democrats were in no mood to help Republicans.

"Hearing their words in the last 12 hours is all you need to understand," Slotkin said.

The effort to dismiss McCarthy roiled House Republicans, many of whom supported him and fear an intraparty war.

Gaetz on Monday introduced the resolution to remove McCarthy from his leadership position, after weeks of threatening to do so, because McCarthy passed the stopgap measure to fund the government with Democratic support.

After the resolution was introduced, McCarthy tried to project confidence, posting a defiant message on social media Monday night - "Bring it on" - and casting Gaetz as a part of a vocal minority in the Republican conference.

Hard-right obstructionists in the House GOP made clear for weeks that they would try to oust McCarthy if he relied on Democrats to pass any funding legislation. Several lawmakers remained frustrated over McCarthy's leadership.

"We had a conversation last week, and the last thing he said was, 'Oh, I really want to be speaker.' I think that sums up the whole thing," said Burchett, who said he would vote to oust McCarthy even though it would probably attract a primary challenger for himself. "It should be bigger than that. . . . It's not about one person. It's about our country right now."

However, Gaetz's move angered dozens of Republican lawmakers who support McCarthy, saying the speaker was forced to rely on Democratic votes to avoid a government shutdown over the weekend only because of obstinance from the hard-right lawmakers in their own party.

Steve Womack said Republicans should be focused on trying to pass conservative long-term spending bills right now - not on leadership fights. "I can't really fathom the need to be able to change jockeys when we're in the middle of this race," Womack said.

"This is just absolutely uncalled for, unnecessary and counterproductive."

Selecting a new speaker seems like it will be a shitshow.

[Solauren]

On the plus side, it will be mildly amusing to watch said shitshow.

On the minus side, this might distract attention from Trumps problems.

[bilateralrope]

I'd be more worried about how this gets in the way of attempts to prevent a government shutdown.

Trump will have other trials

[Solauren]

I'd be more worried about how this gets in the way of attempts to prevent a government shutdown.

Hopefully, if it causes one, it will clearly be because of the Republican's being assholes, and it will cost them politically.

[LadyTevar]

I'd be more worried about how this gets in the way of attempts to prevent a government shutdown.

Hopefully, if it causes one, it will clearly be because of the Republican's being assholes, and it will cost them politically.

Gods I hope so. McCarty already tried once to blame the Democrats, I just hope no one else believes him.

[Batman]

Well if it helps any, from the outisde it's impossible to to miss this is infinite percent on the MAGA fascists.

[Zaune]

Well, at least he can say he outlasted the lettuce.

[bilateralrope]

Well, at least he can say he outlasted the lettuce.

But will a lettuce outlast the process to select the next speaker ?

What about the next speaker ?

[LaCroix]

And for the fun of it, there are attempts to get Trump nominated to the job.

I wish I was kidding....

[bilateralrope]

Can the speaker be someone who wasn't already in Congress ?

Because if Trump is eligible to be the speaker, I'm not surprised. Not that there is much surprise even if he's ineligible.

[LadyTevar]

Can the speaker be someone who wasn't already in Congress ?

Because if Trump is eligible to be the speaker, I'm not surprised. Not that there is much surprise even if he's ineligible.

I am hoping that was a sick joke trying to pander to the Base.

IIRC the Speaker of the House **has to be** a duly elected member of the House of Representatives, and usually a member of the Majority Party.

[Lost Soal]

Can the speaker be someone who wasn't already in Congress ?

Because if Trump is eligible to be the speaker, I'm not surprised. Not that there is much surprise even if he's ineligible.

I am hoping that was a sick joke trying to pander to the Base.

IIRC the Speaker of the House **has to be** a duly elected member of the House of Representatives, and usually a member of the Majority Party.

Nope. The speaker is not required to be elected to anything, they could chose the winner of a lottery if they had the votes. However the House Rules forbid anyone who has indictments which may result in at least 2yrs in prison from being speaker, rendering Trump ineligible.

[Broomstick]

On the plus side, it will be mildly amusing to watch said shitshow.

On the minus side, this might distract attention from Trumps problems.

Also on the minus side:
All the people who won't get money if the government shuts down, whether that's paychecks, government aid, etc. Wages: Including people like air traffic controller, the border patrol, and the rank-and-file military.
Benefits: Including low-income pregnant/lactating women, infants, children, and poor adults qualifying for food aid.

That's not a complete list, by the way. Nowhere near.

Although government workers (and aid recipients) get back pay when the government starts up again third-party contractors do not. So, for example, people who clean government offices are just plain out the money.

[Broomstick]

I'd be more worried about how this gets in the way of attempts to prevent a government shutdown.

Hopefully, if it causes one, it will clearly be because of the Republican's being assholes, and it will cost them politically.

Gods I hope so. McCarty already tried once to blame the Democrats, I just hope no one else believes him.

Well if it helps any, from the outisde it's impossible to to miss this is infinite percent on the MAGA fascists.

The problem is that it's the idiots inside the US who get to vote in the next election, not intelligent people such as yourself.

[Gandalf]

I am hoping that was a sick joke trying to pander to the Base.

IIRC the Speaker of the House **has to be** a duly elected member of the House of Representatives, and usually a member of the Majority Party.

Nope. The speaker is not required to be elected to anything, they could chose the winner of a lottery if they had the votes. However the House Rules forbid anyone who has indictments which may result in at least 2yrs in prison from being speaker, rendering Trump ineligible.

Right now there's an ever so small chance that a few Republicans go "fuck this" and back a Democratic speaker.

[Jub]

On the plus side, it will be mildly amusing to watch said shitshow.

On the minus side, this might distract attention from Trumps problems.

Also on the minus side:
All the people who won't get money if the government shuts down, whether that's paychecks, government aid, etc. Wages: Including people like air traffic controller, the border patrol, and the rank-and-file military.
Benefits: Including low-income pregnant/lactating women, infants, children, and poor adults qualifying for food aid.

That's not a complete list, by the way. Nowhere near.

Although government workers (and aid recipients) get back pay when the government starts up again third-party contractors do not. So, for example, people who clean government offices are just plain out the money.

I think most know a shutdown will suck and are hoping it opens some eyes as a silver lining if it does happen.

[LadyTevar]

I am hoping that was a sick joke trying to pander to the Base.

IIRC the Speaker of the House **has to be** a duly elected member of the House of Representatives, and usually a member of the Majority Party.

Nope. The speaker is not required to be elected to anything, they could chose the winner of a lottery if they had the votes. However the House Rules forbid anyone who has indictments which may result in at least 2yrs in prison from being speaker, rendering Trump ineligible.

Right now there's an ever so small chance that a few Republicans go "fuck this" and back a Democratic speaker.

I do not see that happening.

[bilateralrope]

Nope. The speaker is not required to be elected to anything, they could chose the winner of a lottery if they had the votes. However the House Rules forbid anyone who has indictments which may result in at least 2yrs in prison from being speaker, rendering Trump ineligible.

Right now there's an ever so small chance that a few Republicans go "fuck this" and back a Democratic speaker.

I do not see that happening.

Probably not. But it's still worth the Dems putting someone forward every so often, just in case there are enough Republicans who are fed up with the infighting.

[Gandalf]

Indeed. The Dems can play a fun prisoner's dilemma. They need a certain number of Republicans to jump over. In return for backing the opposite party, the new Dem speaker grants them some nice perks like committee assignments or something. Depending on their district, they look more pragmatic and statesmanly for their putting country ahead of party.

Odds of it all going off are about nil, but thoughts like this must be bouncing around a few heads in Washington.

[bilateralrope]

I wasn't even thinking of offering anything in exchange. Though that could work.

Is there anything else dems in Congress can do until a speaker is selected ?

[Gandalf]

Not really. It takes a majority to elect a speaker, so the Democrats can just have victory laps on MSNBC in the meantime.

[Rogue 9]

Well, at least he can say he outlasted the lettuce.

But will a lettuce outlast the process to select the next speaker ?

What about the next speaker ?

Presumably the next Speaker won't be dumb enough to set the threshold for a motion to vacate at one member...

[LaCroix]

They didn't vote him in 14 times, until he was forced to make that concession in order to get in at the 15th vote.

Tells you everything about how good of a negotiator and leader the man trying to get the position of chief negociator and leader of the legislative was.

Biggest problem of the GOP - no one sane wants the job, knowing they have to deal with the insane MAGA crowd in the GOP. The ones wanting the job are the insane MAGA crowd or insane enough thinking they could control them, which makes them unelectable to the sane GOP.

Just remember - selecting Speaker is usually a footnote of the first day, and just a formality - the GOP took DAYS to do it.

This is why they smply took the rest of the week off - so they can calm down and talk over the weekend, where noone can see them squabble, and hope to resolve this before monday to keep *some* face.

As someone said - it was a good thing we took the recess, or we would have seen fists come out on the floor.

So, I'll be spending the weekend preparing popcorn, how about you?

[bilateralrope]

Trump endorses Jim Jordan for House speaker

By Kristen Holmes, Alayna Treene and Kate Sullivan, CNN
Updated 1:36 AM EDT, Fri October 6, 2023


Former President Donald Trump endorsed Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan’s bid for speaker of the House Friday.

In a post on Truth Social shortly after midnight, Trump said Jordan “will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!”

Trump’s intervention into the race came after he expressed openness to temporarily serving in the role himself and, per a source familiar with discussions, considered a visit to Capitol Hill to speak with Republicans in the coming days as they weigh a new speaker.

The former president is not expected to go to Capitol Hill, a source close to Trump said Thursday night. The Messenger first reported the internal discussions on a potential trip.

Republicans are slated to hear from speaker candidates at a forum next Tuesday, setting up the next possible House-wide speaker vote on Wednesday, October 11. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Jordan have announced their candidacies, and others could still enter the race, but it remains to be seen whether the conference can coalesce around a viable successor to McCarthy.

In the meantime, the vacancy leaves the House essentially paralyzed.

Trump approached about serving as speaker

Trump has been approached in recent days by GOP lawmakers who have floated the idea of him serving as speaker, even on a temporary basis, one source familiar with the conversations said, and has been “intrigued” by the idea.

“They have asked me if I would take it for a short period of time for the party, until they come to a conclusion – I’m not doing it because I want to – I will do it if necessary, should they not be able to make their decision,” Trump told Fox News Digital. Trump told Fox he was focused on his presidential campaign but that he would be open to serving for a “30-, 60-, or 90-day period.”

Trump has told those with him this week that while he is “flattered” and “honored” that people have raised his name, he is not seriously entertaining the idea, according to two people who have spoken with him about Kevin McCarthy’s ouster.

Trump is “entirely focused” on running for president, the two sources said, characterizing his public posturing on the narrative that he could be elected speaker as Trump relishing the attention.

“A lot of people have been calling me about speaker. All I can say is we’ll do whatever is best for the country and the Republican Party,” Trump told reporters outside the courthouse in lower Manhattan on Wednesday during a break from his civil fraud trial.

Republican Reps. Troy Nehls of Texas and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia had publicly said they would support Trump for the role.

If he did run, Trump would need to earn the majority of the votes of lawmakers present and voting, which could prove difficult for a former president who is polarizing even among members of the GOP conference. Rep. Mike Lawler, a GOP freshman from a swing district in New York, told CNN earlier Thursday that he doesn’t see a role for Trump in the speaker’s race.

Asked by CNN’s Jim Sciutto whether he wanted the former president to come to the Capitol, Lawler said, “I think the choice for speaker will be someone who is currently a member of Congress and I think these discussions should be among the members.”

And even if Trump were to be elected, it’s unclear whether he could get around House Republican conference rules that state any member who is indicted on felony charges that carry a prison sentence of two or more years is required to step down from leadership. Those rules are self-enforced and could be changed – but only after a speaker is elected.

Now that Trump has made his pick, I expect the MAGA crowd to go for Jim Jordan. So nobody else has a chance of becoming speaker unless they have major democrat support.

But that doesn't guarantee Jim Jordan will win.

[LadyTevar]

And this is the point where we get to see how many GOP have faith in Trump, and how many want to get the hell away from him and the trouble he's in.

I'm sure the MAGA 5 will fully back Jordan, because Trump said so. The rest of the GOP? unsure. The DEMS? Yeah.... I don't think Jordan's got the votes there either.