Update: A Speaker Has Been Removed from the House of Representatives for the First Time in American History

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | October 3, 2023 |

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | October 3, 2023 |

Update (4:45 EST): Kevin McCarthy has been ousted as Speaker of the House of Representatives. It is the first time a House Speaker has ever been ousted by a vote of 216-210.

Currently, there is no Speaker of the House.

Do not negotiate with terrorists, and good luck to the next GOP Speaker.

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Update: McCarthy lost a vote to table the motion to vacate. Eleven Republicans joined Democrats to vote against the motion. A debate is currently ongoing ahead of the vote to vacate McCarthy.

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Matt Gaetz’s motion to vacate is moving ahead, and a vote on whether to keep Kevin McCarthy as the Speaker of the House of Representatives is expected sometime today. McCarthy, in a closed-door meeting with Republicans, managed to rally the support of most of the GOP. Most is key here because a few either didn’t attend the meeting or left early.

If six Republicans vote against Kevin McCarthy, and the Democrats vote against him, McCarthy is toast. There are reportedly seven Republicans who will — or are considering — voting against McCarthy.

The Democrats are not going to bail him out. Earlier this week, there was some consideration given by centrist Democrats to saving McCarthy, reasoning that they had no desire to follow the lead of Matt Gaetz. After a closed-door meeting with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, however, it appears as though the Democrats are unified: They’re not coming to McCarthy’s rescue. Period.

“We are not saving Kevin McCarthy … Nobody trusts Kevin McCarthy, and why should we?” Rep. Pramila Jayapal from Washington said earlier today, referencing the many times that Kevin McCarthy has screwed over the Democrats, including most recently the impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden and his refusal to give the Democrats time even to read the stopgap bill McCarthy pushed through over the weekend. “Let them wallow in their pigsty of incompetence.”

It’s not just progressive Democrats, either. Jared Golden from Maine — the most conservative member of the House Democrats — has declined to save McCarthy, too. “Absent any significantly meaningful benefit for Maine’s 2nd District, I see no reason to vote for him.”

The Democrats are united. Seven Republicans are considering voting against McCarthy. It should be an interesting afternoon.