On Tuesday, the House is set to conduct a crucial vote on the removal of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position. This follows the unsuccessful attempt to table Representative Matt Gaetz’s resolution, as it failed to garner sufficient support from fellow Republicans.
The failure of the motion to table has raised concerns for McCarthy, who has served as speaker for just under nine months. The House Republican leadership had aimed to quash this motion in order to suppress dissent among some Republican members, notably including Gaetz. The vote, which was announced by GOP Rep. Tom Emmer, took place on Tuesday afternoon.
In a surprising turn of events, eleven Republicans chose to vote against tabling the motion, leaving the GOP without the majority required to quash Gaetz’s resolution. This development is significant because the Speaker of the House not only leads the chamber but also holds the second-in-line position for the presidency.
The prospect of removing a sitting speaker through a vote during a congressional term is without precedent in American history. McCarthy’s supporters have cautioned that such a move could establish a worrisome precedent that would influence future speakers. Despite these arguments, Democrats have not rallied to McCarthy’s defense.
