The United States House of Representatives has voted 216 – 210 to remove the embattled Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position. In a solemn tone, the presiding chair of yesterday’s proceedings on the resolution to oust the Speaker was gaveled into adoption.
The motion, which passed with votes of eight defiant Republicans joining all 208 Democrats present, had been tabled the previous day by a member of the Republican conference, Matt Gaetz of Florida.
Mr Gaetz alleged that the Speaker had broken a litany of promises he had made to him and other colleagues Republicans who were hesitant to back Mr McCarthy’s bid for the top job in the People’s House earlier in January.
When Speaker McCarthy broke with a minority faction within his conference to join Democrats in passing a 45-day stopgap bill to avert an hours away government shutdown, it was the last straw for the mistrusting bloc.
Speaking to reporters on the steps of the Capitol, Matt Gaetz hinted that he would be open to table a motion to vacate the Speakership of Mr. McCarthy, describing it as being on “tenuous grounds”.
Last Sunday, he moved the ball forward.
