In a groundbreaking vote on Tuesday, Kevin McCarthy was removed from his role as Speaker of the House due to dissatisfaction from far-right members of his party over his collaboration with Democrats on government funding issues. The vote ended with 216 in favor and 210 against, marking the first time a Speaker has been ousted through a vote of no confidence.
The announcement of the vacant Speaker position was made by Republican Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas. Following this, Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, a close associate of McCarthy, was named the temporary Speaker according to the rules of the 118th Congress.
The Republican caucus planned to convene to discuss future steps. Although McCarthy could be nominated again, this seems improbable unless he gains the support of hardline Republicans or forms an alliance with Democrats. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida stated that McCarthy’s downfall was due to a lack of trust and his inconsistent promises.
Eight Republicans, including Gaetz, voted against McCarthy. Gaetz had previously accused McCarthy of making a covert agreement with President Biden on Ukraine aid, which McCarthy denied. Eleven Republicans had also voted against tabling Gaetz’s resolution, signaling trouble for McCarthy.
Political experts noted that the removal of a Speaker in the middle of a term is unprecedented and could set a concerning precedent. Democrats did not come to McCarthy’s aid, citing his inability to distance himself from extreme elements within his party.
Before the vote, McCarthy had expressed optimism about retaining his position. However, Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal stated that her party would unanimously vote against him. Gaetz, who had long opposed McCarthy, indicated that any future Speaker would have to maintain the current rules allowing a single member to initiate a motion to remove the Speaker.
The act of removing a Speaker is historically unprecedented. Previous attempts to remove Speakers have either not reached a vote or were defeated. The recent event marks a significant moment in American political history.
Bye Felicia!
He was “eaten” by his own. He stoked political extremism, kissed Trumps butt, and did everything to stop bipartisan lawmaking. It ended up causing his downfall. Sad times right now and this shows the republicans are not a single party, but a collection of cults.
Washington is one big corrupt uni-party owned by Wall Street, lobbyists and the military industrial complex that have us in this ludicrous war in the Ukraine. Unfortunately, the legacy Media pushes politicians like they were movie stars but we know they are ugly Hollywood. The city of West Hollywood politicians are a reflection of what the future is. A dreadful nightmare.
Why is this a WeHoVille article? Are there no issues more appropriate for a local online news source like WeHoVille?
Let’s leave this to the networks.
While the House was in apparent chaos in Washington, the House of Cards was collapsing in Manhattan. It’s seems time for some reasonable and balanced people to provide examples that we as citizens of this fine country can respect and hopefully emulate. Hopefully that will extend to West Hollywood as well.
Love watching the republican dumpster fire. This puts their incompetence on full display for the American people.