The U.S. Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a motion to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy in an unprecedented move amid Republican infighting, days after McCarthy relied on Democratic votes to pass a "clean" stopgap funding bill to avert a federal government shutdown.
The 216-210 vote came nearly nine months after McCarthy won the position in a dramatic 15-round floor fight, marking the first time in U.S. history that a House speaker has been voted out of office in the middle of a term.
Eight Republicans joined Democrats in voting to remove McCarthy from the speakership, less than one day after hardline Republican Representative Matt Gaetz announced a resolution to remove McCarthy through a process known as "a motion to vacate."
Photo taken on Oct. 3, 2023 in Arlington, the United States, shows a screen that displays Republican Representative Matt Gaetz (front) speaking before the U.S. House of Representatives voting on a motion to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
Gaetz and other hardline Republicans had warned for weeks they would move to oust McCarthy from his position as leader of the chamber if McCarthy relied on Democrats to pass funding legislation.
Hakeem Jeffries, the top House Democrat, said in a statement Tuesday that under the Republican majority, the House "has been restructured to empower right-wing extremists, kowtow to their harsh demands and impose a rigid partisan ideology."
"Given their unwillingness to break from MAGA extremism in an authentic and comprehensive manner, House Democratic leadership will vote yes on the pending Republican Motion to Vacate the Chair," said Jeffries, referring the "Make America Great Again" slogan popularized by Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign.
File photo taken on Sept. 29, 2023 shows then U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (front) speaking to the media in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)
In a last-minute effort to avert a government shutdown, McCarthy released a stopgap funding bill Saturday morning, which would keep federal agencies funded at current levels until mid-November, and included 16 billion U.S. dollars of funding for disaster relief.
The bill dropped steep spending cuts and border security provisions sought by conservative Republicans, and did not include additional aid for Ukraine sought by Democrats.
The bill was passed by the Senate and House on Saturday, and was signed by President Joe Biden Saturday night, just a few minutes before federal government funding for this fiscal year was set to expire.
The screenshot taken from the streaming of the U.S. Congress shows the U.S. House of Representatives voting on a motion on Oct. 3, 2023 to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua)
McCarthy's proposal came as a surprise, as he had been trying to advance a funding bill with steep spending cuts and border security provisions in attempts to garner support from Republican conservatives.
His decision to put forward the "clean" stopgap funding bill was welcomed by Democrats and the White House, but had upset some Republicans, especially party hardliners in the House.
When asked Saturday what if conservative Republican critics tried to remove him from the speakership over the funding bill, McCarthy told reporters that "If someone wants to remove (me) because I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try."
The House will now need to elect a new speaker, but there is no consensus yet on who might be able to fill the vacancy.
