What McCarthy’s Removal Means
After the removal of the House Speaker, many questions arise. What do the extreme Republicans, led by Matt Gaetz, hope to achieve? How will the Democrats react? And what will happen to the US aid for Ukraine? Here’s an overview.
What happened?
The US House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the US Congress, alongside the Senate. The Republican Party holds a slim majority of nine seats in the House and therefore can appoint the Speaker. Republican hardliner Matt Gaetz, along with seven other Republicans from the right-wing faction of the party, voted to oust the incumbent, McCarthy.
While the vast majority of the Republican caucus stood behind McCarthy, the eight rebels formed a narrow majority against him. The Democrats in the House, on the other hand, chose not to support McCarthy and also voted against him.
Why was McCarthy removed?
Gaetz and his allies accused McCarthy of violating internal caucus agreements and of collaborating with US President Joe Biden and the Democrats instead of representing the interests of his own faction. Gaetz was particularly upset that McCarthy had averted a government shutdown at the last moment with the votes of the Democrats over the past weekend. Gaetz stated that McCarthy is part of the Washington “swamp” and cannot be trusted.
Who is Matt Gaetz?
Gaetz, a lawyer from Florida, has been one of McCarthy’s staunchest opponents for some time. The 41-year-old regularly spreads conspiracy theories and holds extremely right-wing positions. For example, he is strictly against abortion, opposes same-sex marriage, and is against aid to Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia. Gaetz aligns himself closely with former President Donald Trump and said that his revolt against McCarthy is merely “house cleaning” in preparation for Trump’s return to government. Gaetz was under investigation for years on suspicion of having had sex with a minor, but the Department of Justice ultimately did not file charges against him.
Who is the loser?
McCarthy was elected Speaker of the House in January of this year, after 15 attempts. That in itself was a humiliation of historic proportions. In a press conference following his equally dramatic removal, the 58-year-old displayed a mix of emotions and aggression. He criticized his opponents, particularly Gaetz, stating that Gaetz was never concerned about issues but only about personal matters and seeking media attention. McCarthy claimed that nothing Gaetz said was true.
McCarthy also bitterly complained that a Speaker who had the overwhelming support of his caucus could be removed from office by eight members, along with the opposition party. He believed that the institution of Congress had failed. He expressed that he was at peace with himself and would not change anything in hindsight. McCarthy humorously added, “I made history, didn’t I?”
Who will succeed McCarthy?
It is entirely unclear who may step in. McCarthy, however, made it clear after the vote that he will not run again. Gaetz also assured that he has no ambitions to run himself, as he would not have the majority support. In a heavily divided faction, it is generally uncertain who can rally enough party colleagues behind them. Several names are being mentioned, including the current number two Republican in the House, Steve Scalise.
When will the next election take place?
For now, it is clear that nothing will happen for a week. The Republicans want to take some time to sort things out and analyze possible candidates. The earliest a vote could take place is in the middle of next week. The number of voting rounds that will be needed is unknown.
The Direct Consequences
Until a new Speaker is elected, nothing will happen in the House of Representatives. All legislative work is currently on hold. This comes at a time when Congress has, among other things, the task of passing a federal budget. The current temporary budget expires in mid-November. If a new budget is not passed by then, the US will once again face a government shutdown.
Furthermore, an important constitutional position remains vacant. The Speaker of the House ranks third in the state order, after the President and Vice President. Republican Patrick McHenry will assume formal responsibilities as interim Speaker, but he will not fill the role politically.
What will happen to Ukraine aid?
The Congress also needs to decide on new aid for Ukraine. The temporary budget does not include any further assistance for the country, which has been attacked by Russia. This does not mean that the US will suddenly stop supporting Kyiv. However, the previously approved funds are running out, and new funding is needed.
John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesperson, stated on Tuesday that the current tranche approved by Congress would be enough to help Ukraine for “a few weeks” or “a few months”. However, the precise estimate depends on the current situation on the battlefield. Kirby also warned that “time is not our friend.”
What’s next for the Republicans?
This action is the culmination of a long battle within the Republican Party over nothing less than the essence of the party. Before the vote, Gaetz and other hardliners publicly clashed with moderate Republicans in the House. Republican Tom McClintock lamented that the House would be paralyzed, occupied week after week with fruitless voting rounds, while the real work remains undone. He predicted that “Democrats will revel in Republican dysfunction, and the public will be rightly repulsed.”
Republican Kelly Armstrong complained that his faction was being held hostage by a small group. This could ultimately cost the Republicans their majority.
How are the Democrats reacting?
The Democrats argued that it was not their responsibility to save McCarthy from the “civil war” within his own ranks. It is up to the majority faction to determine the Speaker. For now, the Democrats may benefit from the implosion of the Republican caucus. However, the longer the standstill in Congress lasts, the greater the pressure on them to show reason in the country’s interest and support a compromise candidate.
What are the other reactions?
President Biden called on the House of Representatives to “swiftly” elect a successor. His spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre, stated that “the urgent challenges for our country will not wait.”
US presidential candidate Mike Pence sharply criticized the group of Republicans led by Gaetz. He expressed being “deeply disappointed that a handful of Republicans joined Democrats in the House of Representatives” to overthrow the Speaker. Chaos is never America’s friend, said the former vice president under Donald Trump at a forum on security and foreign policy in Washington.
Newt Gingrich, who was Speaker of the House from 1995 to 1999, also criticized Gaetz. The 80-year-old Republican from Georgia wrote in a guest article for the Washington Post that “Matt Gaetz is an anti-Republican who has actively harmed the conservative movement.” Gingrich called for Gaetz to be expelled from the Republican caucus in the House of Representatives. He wrote, “Republicans in the House have far more important things to do than to satisfy the ego of a member.”
Has this ever happened before?
No, this is the first time in US history that a Speaker of the House has lost their position in this way. The last and only time a vote on the removal of the Speaker took place was 113 years ago. Republican Joseph Cannon remained in office in 1910 after seeking confrontation with his critics and initiating the vote on his own removal.
McCarthy himself invoked the political survival of Cannon and let the vote take place on Tuesday.