Matt Gaetz Initiates Move to Remove Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker
In a significant political move, Rep. Matt Gaetz initiated a motion on Monday to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his leadership position in the House. This rare procedural action, known as a motion to vacate the chair, can lead to a vote to oust the current speaker. For the motion to succeed, it would need a majority vote.
The unfolding situation represents the most significant challenge to McCarthy's leadership thus far. Gaetz's move has intensified the already existing tensions within the House GOP, which has seen internal disagreements and challenges to McCarthy's agenda.
Historically, no House speaker has been removed through such a resolution. However, the mere threat of invoking this motion can exert significant pressure on the speaker.
Gaetz, a Republican from Florida and a known critic of McCarthy, has been advocating for the speaker's removal using this congressional mechanism. The process allows any member to call for a new speaker election, though there are ways for the GOP leadership to counter or delay such an effort.
To initiate a vote, a member must announce their intention to offer the resolution on the House floor. Once done, the speaker has two legislative days to schedule the resolution. However, there are procedural moves that can preempt a direct vote on the resolution, such as tabling the motion.
McCarthy is anticipated to employ a procedural tactic to counter the motion, possibly as early as Tuesday. He has various procedural tools at his disposal, all of which would essentially nullify the resolution and would need a majority vote to be effective.
The last notable instance of a motion to vacate occurred in 2015 when then-GOP Rep. Mark Meadows sought to declare the speaker's office vacant during John Boehner's tenure. Although the motion never reached a floor vote, Boehner eventually resigned from his position.
Gaetz has indicated that he discussed the move to oust McCarthy with former President Donald Trump, though he did not reveal specifics about their conversation.
Gaetz believes he has garnered enough Republican support to either remove McCarthy or force him to negotiate with Democrats to retain his position. If McCarthy loses the support of five or more Republicans on the motion, he would need Democratic votes to remain in his role.
Several other Republicans have expressed their positions on the motion. Reps. Eli Crane and Bob Good have confirmed their support, while Rep. Andy Biggs is leaning towards it. Rep. Tim Burchett is still undecided.
McCarthy, when questioned about potentially negotiating with Democrats, emphasized the importance of the institution and did not rule out the possibility.
The Democratic stance is currently to await their leadership's position before deciding on the vote. Some, like Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, have expressed openness to negotiations to keep McCarthy in his role.
Gaetz's move has sparked discussions among GOP members, especially within the far-right House Freedom Caucus. They deliberated on the implications of supporting the motion and the potential consequences for ongoing legislative work.
The motion's timing coincides with recent disagreements over government funding and potential aid to Ukraine. Gaetz hinted at a possible undisclosed agreement between McCarthy and President Joe Biden regarding Ukraine, a claim McCarthy has denied.
President Biden, in recent remarks, emphasized the importance of bipartisan support for Ukraine and expressed hope that Republican leaders would uphold their commitment to support the nation. The White House has not provided further details on any specific agreements.