Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz introduced a resolution Monday to impeach House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Gaetz threatened to take drastic measures if McCarthy was able to pass a continuing resolution to fund the operation of the federal government with the help of Democrats.
The House is expected to vote on McCarthy’s impeachment likely within the next 48 hours.
“I think we need to take the Band-Aid off. I think we need to move forward with new leadership that we can trust,” he said at the State of the Union.
Gaetz considered that the Republican leader violated the agreements he committed to in January, by agreeing with the Democrats to fund the government.
How does a motion to vacate office work?
To date, no House Speaker has been removed from office with a motion like the one proposed by Gaetz. Now that the motion has been presented, it is possible that there will be ‘procedural votes’ to stop it or it will just come to the plenary session of the Lower House, where it will be decided whether McCarthy will continue to occupy his position as president.
The presentation alone does not guarantee a vote, but it will be put on the table in a formal inquiry by the Republican leadership. Something similar happened in 2015 when former Representative Mark Meadows (who would become Donald Trump’s future chief of staff) asked then President John Boehner, but he resigned before a vote could be called.
After the presentation, a lawmaker must go to the floor of the House and request a vote on the resolution, which must occur within two legislative days. The party leadership can determine the time of the vote, and it will happen when it is presented.
The resolution is subject to motions that ultimately prevent it from being brought to a vote. For example, motions to archive the resolution or refer it to committee may be valid. If any of the intermediate steps succeed, then a vote on the resolution to vacate the House speakership will not occur.
If blocking motions fail and a vote is called on the resolution, a simple majority of lawmakers present and voting is required for it to succeed. If approved, the presidency will be vacant immediately.
How many votes will it take to remove McCarthy from office?
McCarthy apparently has the support of a majority of 221 House Republicans, NPR reports.
Gaetz, a member of the Freedom Caucus, was McCarthy’s strongest opponent. But it is also necessary to add other Republican representatives such as Laura Boebert, from Colorado; Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Eli Crane of Arizona, Cory Mills of Florida, Wesley Hunt of Texas, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, or Matt Rosendale, from Montana.
In a floor vote, McCarthy would lose just 4 of his votes to remain in office. If all 212 Democrats join the embattled Republicans, the House speakership could become vacant.
What will the Democrats do if there is a vote against McCarthy
The issue within the Republican Party does not seem to interest the Democrats.
House Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday, as the rift between conservatives became apparent, that his people were “fully focused on making sure we avoid this shutdown.” of government” and allowed the final agreement that President Joe Biden signed Saturday night to avoid a government shutdown.
Two senior Democratic aides quoted by National Public Radio (NPR), who asked not to be identified, said they had informal conversations with Democratic groups about how to handle the final leadership vote. McCarthy, but there was no consensus within the party.
But the equation can also work the other way. Democratic votes may be needed to save McCarthy, which would likely lead to negotiations with him over government funding, which have not yet been concluded.
What is a government shutdown and how does it affect you?
