Tuesday marked a historic moment in U.S. history when House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of office, leaving the seat vacant and ripe for the taking. The vote was led by Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, with 7 other House republicans and all democrats piling it on to make the decision final. Unfortunately, this ousting could not have come at a worse time.
With McCarthy officially and forevermore unseated, the House grapples for control over aid to Ukraine, potential impeachment proceedings for President Biden, and an impending government shutdown which was delayed, but is still right around the corner.
Republicans are currently holding private forums to find a candidate to back, with Representatives Scalise and Jordan throwing their hats in the ring against interim Speaker, Patrick McHenry, who is doing his best to clutch the gavel close to his chest.
A vote for a new Speaker could take place as early as next week; however, until then, chaos reigns and necessary decisions regarding government spending are put on hold.
This day, however, seems to have been long coming.
When McCarthy was voted Speaker of the House in January, it was contingent upon his plans for government funding. Representative Matt Gaetz, as well as other republicans, backed McCarthy, so long as he agreed to push for annual spending bills. The concern was that government spending too often ran out of control.
When McCarthy was voted Speaker of the House in January, it was under promise that he would push for bills to decrease government spending. However he quickly broke that promise when he worked with House democrats to delay the shutdown. Feeling betrayed, Gaetz led the vote to oust McCarthy for going back on his word. So, what now?
The House is out to recess until they can find a new speaker, and the clock is already ticking on pressing concerns they will have to address. Do you think they’ll get it together in time, or will the House fall into further disarray? Who else didn’t realize just how dramatic politics could be?
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