Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) successfully ousted Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as Speaker of the House. The motion to vacate by Gaetz comes in response to the House passing a temporary government funding measure – without the spending cuts or border funding pushed for by conservative members – after McCarthy allowed a vote on the floor. In addition, Gaetz has accused McCarthy of having cut a secret side deal on Ukraine funding with President Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats.
Following the vote the designated Speaker pro tempore moved to adjourn the House. Republicans will now caucus and begin the process of determining who they will nominate to be serve as the new Speaker. House rules do not prohibit McCarthy from being renominated for the Speakership. Republican Reps. Ken Buck, Byron Donalds, Tom Emmer, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, Mike Johnson, and Jodey Arrington have all been floated as potential candidates for Speaker. In theory the Speaker does not have to be a Member of Congress, leading a few House conservatives to pitch the idea of naming former Donald Trump as Speaker.
After Republicans retook the majority in the House of Representatives following the 2022 mid-term elections, it took 15 rounds of voting for McCarthy to successfully win the Speakership. The California Republican was only able to secure a majority of votes after making several critical concessions to House conservatives. House leadership’s violations of those concessions is what partially fueled the vote for McCarthy’s ouster.