A Historical Turn of Events: Kevin McCarthy Ousted as House Speaker

by

Chad Thibodeaux

in Current Affairs Posted on 

10/10/2023 12:37 PM

In a move that has sent shockwaves through the conservative community, Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted from his esteemed position, marking a pivotal moment in the history of the Republican party. The orchestrator of this unprecedented event was none other than Rep. Matt Gaetz, a staunch conservative and unwavering ally of former President Donald Trump.

Representative Matt Gaetz from Florida, armed with a motion to vacate, led the charge against McCarthy, a development that has exposed the deep-seated fractures within the Republican ranks. The final vote, a narrow 216-210, was facilitated by the alliance of eight Republican dissenters and the united front of House Democrats.

The crux of the contention stemmed from McCarthy’s decision to collaborate with Democrats to avert a government shutdown. This move, perceived as a betrayal by a faction of hard-right conservatives, ignited the flames of opposition. Gaetz, a prominent figure in this faction, became the voice of the discontented, articulating grievances rooted in perceived untruthfulness and broken promises.

The debate that unfolded was both public and intense, laying bare the internal conflicts that have long simmered beneath the surface. McCarthy, in the aftermath of the vote, remained unyielding, expressing no regrets and casting aspersions on those who facilitated his ouster.

The Democrats, seizing the opportunity, were unwavering in their support for the motion to oust McCarthy. Their unity, however, was not born of principle but of political expediency, capitalizing on the divisions within the Republican ranks to further their own agenda.

Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.) was named acting House speaker until another speaker can be chosen.

Rep. Gaetz files motion to oust Speaker McCarthy over deal averting government shutdown

by

Karen Ben-Moyal

in Current Affairs Posted on 

10/01/2023 11:00 AM

With just a few hours remaining before the midnight deadline, divided congressional lawmakers were able to avert a government shutdown Saturday evening by passing a short-term spending bill that keeps agencies funded through November the 17th. U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was eventually forced to take charge of creating a working resolution that could reach bi-partisan support and avoid shutting down the federal government. 

House Speaker McCarthy ended up maneuvering a last-minute continuing resolution (CR) which would require significant support from Democrats to keep agencies’ doors open for 45 extra days, and allocated $16 billion in federal disaster aid to hard-hit American communities. In addition, the speaker would go against the wishes of the White House in specifically blocking out or preventing the implementation of any further proposed foreign aid deals which would allow more funds to go towards assisting Ukraine in their war against Russia. Shortly after the bill was approved in the House, the Senate would almost immediately vote in favor of the last-minute compromise. This motion sent the deal straight to the desk of the U.S. president for final confirmation. With just a few hours to spare before the midnight deadline, President Joe Biden signed off on the agreement, which temporarily averted a government shutdown and gave federal leaders an extension in which they could arrange supplemental discussions and later vote on long-term decisions.

On Sunday, Florida Congressman Matthew Gaetz announced he will be seeking to oust Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from his leadership position as Speaker of the House following the dramatic move made by Congress. In response to Rep. Gaetz's "motion to vacate the speakership," Rep. McCarthy said, "That's nothing new. . . He has tried to do that from the moment I ran for office. . . I'll survive." The speaker added that the confrontational disagreement was, "personal with Matt. . . Gaetz is more interested in securing TV interviews than doing something. . . So be it, bring it on, let's get over with it and let's start governing." 

Photo Credit Mark Foley