In a historic and unprecedented move, Republican lawmakers voted Tuesday to remove Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
In his place, North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, was named interim speaker. McHenry was already the Republican leader in the House of Representatives a few years ago.
The vote to vacate the Speaker’s chair was 216 to 210. All Democrats and a small coalition of eight Republicans, led by Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida, voted for the eviction motion.
“It is an advantage of this country that we have a better Speaker of the House than Kevin McCarthy. “Kevin McCarthy couldn’t keep his word,” Gaetz told reporters after the vote.
Before the vote, Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called on Congress to “end the chaos.”
But Gaetz hit back, saying: “I don’t think voting against @SpeakerMcCarthy spells chaos. I think $33 trillion in debt is a mess. Bills are a mess.”
South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace was also among eight Republicans who voted to unseat McCarthy. “For me it’s not ideological. “It’s about having a leader in our nation who tells the truth, who can be trusted, and that’s what the American people deserve,” she said afterwards.
McCarthy said he would not try to take up the speaker’s gavel again while simultaneously blasting the far-right members of his party who orchestrated his exit. “You all know Matt Gaetz. You know, it was personal. It had nothing to do with spending,” he said after the vote.
McCarthy questioned the motives of members of his own party who voted against him. “They are not conservatives,” he claimed.
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Some of the Republicans who voted against McCarthy said he was untrustworthy and they didn’t like his bipartisan deal to avoid a government shutdown because he had broken his agreements with conservative lawmakers. McCarthy’s supporters say her actions have divided the GOP conference and given Democrats the upper hand.
“When you have a narrow majority, unity is our ally. Disunity is the enemy of the conservative cause and today is proof that we have now given our majority to Hakeem Jeffries because we refused to remain united,” the MP said. Andy Barr (R-KY) at Fox News.
Tennessee Republican Tim Burchett told CBN News that McCarthy sealed his impeachment vote when he felt McCarthy had insulted him because he had been praying about the situation. “I just felt like what he said to me was condescending. And the conversation got more heated and I just hung up and said, ‘Well, Lord, I guess you gave me my answer,'” Burchett said.
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McCarthy seemed to call it a misunderstanding.
“You said you would pray for it. I wanted to talk to you about it. Somehow he interprets it like this: I’m a Christian, I won’t offend anyone. I just read his quote again, I thought it was like there was still an opening and I wanted to talk to him about it. He never mentioned anything when we communicated in this way,” he told reporters.
Until a new speaker is elected, all House business is virtually closed. Some names are already being discussed, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Republicans hope to have a candidate next week.
The future leadership of Congress is now in doubt as Republicans search for a new leader to lead a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives. This fight is expected to take place next week.
[CBN]
