Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) moved on Monday to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) from his post, a move that poses the clearest threat yet to Mr. McCarthy’s troubled tenure and could plunge the House into chaos. After days of warnings, Mr. Gaetz rose on Monday evening to bring up a resolution declaring the speakership vacant, called a Motion to Vacate. That started a process that would force a vote today on whether to keep Speaker McCarthy in his post. In doing so, Mr. Gaetz sought to subject Speaker McCarthy to a rare form of political punishment experienced by only two other speakers in the 234-year history of the House of Representatives, the last time being Speaker Joseph G. Cannon (R-Illinois) in 1910. Speaker McCarthy can only afford to lose four Republican defections if all Democrats vote against him and all members are present and voting.
Five House Republicans have already said they will back the effort to boot Speaker McCarthy, meaning that he would need Democratic votes to survive and hold onto the speakership, assuming there aren’t a significant number of absences during the vote. McCarthy conceded ahead of the vote that he faces tough odds. In the more than two-hour caucus meeting this morning, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) wanted members to find consensus among themselves before laying out what the caucus position would be: Bottom line- they will not help Speaker McCarthy keep his job. Democrats blasted McCarthy for going back on his word in the debt ceiling agreement and advancing a series of spending bills at far lower levels. But it didn’t end there. McCarthy’s handling of Saturday, his last-minute decision to put a bill on the floor that kept the government open without giving Democrats the courtesy or time to read the bill and then forcing them to use procedural tactics to do so, became a major point of tension.
The House has also begun consideration of H.R. 4394 – Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024.
When the Senate reconvenes at 3:00 P.M. it will take up the Motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of James C. O’Brien to be Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.
