The U.S. House of Representatives ousts its President McCarthy

On Tuesday, U.S. House members voted by majority to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy from office, the first such move in U.S. history.

McCarthy, a member of the Republican Party, was ousted following a memorandum by his party’s hard wing stating that “the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives is a vacancy”.

Congressman McCarthy’s removal from the leadership of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives followed a vote of 216 in favour of no confidence in exchange for opposition to 210.

GOP hardliners voted against McCarthy after he teamed up with Senate Democrats to pass an interim budget deal that would ensure federal funding is extended until November 17, in order to avoid any government shutdown.

There is still no indication of who will succeed McCarthy.

The United States Congress has just over 40 days to approve a deal to avoid a possible new government shutdown.

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida — a Trump ally — on Monday night used a procedural tool rarely used as an “eviction proposal” to oust McCarthy.

Gaetz accused the speaker of the House of Representatives of concluding a secret agreement with the White House to continue funding Ukraine in its war against Russia, amid negotiations to avoid a partial government shutdown over the weekend, which McCarthy denies.

At a special meeting of Republican lawmakers, held on Tuesday evening after the Speaker’s ouster, McCarthy told colleagues that he did not intend to run for Speaker again, even if the House rules of procedure allowed him to do so.

McCarthy later accused his political opponent Gaetz of seeking attention.

McCarthy told a press conference: “You know it’s personal and it’s nothing to do with spending and funding.”

He said Gaetz’s fundraising emails, amid GOP infighting, were “not proportionate to a member of Congress.”

McCarthy added that the militants who overthrew him were “not conservative.”

McCarthy was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives in January, after 15 arduous rounds of voting within the House, with Gaetz and other right-wingers refusing to support him.

In yesterday’s vote, McCarthy won the support of 210 Republican lawmakers, but eight Republican lawmakers joined all Democratic members in voting against him.