The US House of Representatives made history by voting to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy from his position on Tuesday. The House must now proceed to elect a new speaker, but no clear alternative candidate has emerged with sufficient support to secure the position.
This marks the first time in history that a House speaker has been ousted through the passage of a resolution for removal.
Prior to the vote, both McCarthy’s Republican allies and opponents deliberated for an hour, presenting arguments for and against his retention in the role.
Earlier on the same day, the House attempted but failed to block the motion to oust McCarthy, with a vote count of 208 to 218, including 11 Republicans voting against tabling the effort.
A group of staunch conservatives, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, persisted in obstructing McCarthy, dissenting against key GOP leadership priorities and consistently creating obstacles for the speaker’s agenda.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
