The president of the US House of Representatives, Republican Kevin McCarthy, was removed from office after a historic vote by lawmakers that was unprecedented in the history of Congress. The vote was 216-210.
The vote was 216-210 and eight Republicans voted to remove McCarthy from the presidency: Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Tim Burchett, Eli Crane, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good, Nancy Mace and Matt Rosendale.
Representative Patrick McHenry, of North Carolina and one of Kevin McCarthy’s main allies, was named president pro tempore of the lower house. However, the next steps are uncertain, as there is no clear successor to lead the Republican majority in the House.
Why did they vote to impeach McCarthy?
The effort to remove him was initiated by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., rallied McCarthy’s Republican critics after McCarthy decided over the weekend to work with Democrats to support a stopgap funding package to keep the government running. 45 days.
In a minute: Historic motion to remove McCarthy as leader of the House of Representatives
Gaetz is part of the “Freedom Caucus”, the wing of the Republican Party most sympathetic to former President Donald Trump, who already tried to block his election in January.
After the final vote, Gaetz told the press that now the Lower House must elect a better president:
“He came to power by raising money from special interests and distributing it in exchange for favors,” Gaetz said Tuesday of McCarthy. “We broke the fever and we should elect a better president.”
When asked if he will appoint Rep. Steve Scalise for the speaker, Gaetz replied, “I think he’s an amazing speaker.”
The first president of the Lower House has been erased from history
This is an unusual method that in the last century has been used only twice in the United States, both without success: against fellow Republicans Joseph Cannon, in 1910, and John Boehner, in 2015.
The rules of the House of Representatives establish that the president of the House must draw up a list of his possible substitutes if his position is declared vacant. This list will only be made public if this situation is met, and the chosen person will act on an interim basis until a new leader is elected.
