House of Representatives Votes to Remove Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker in Historic Move

In a historic move, the House of Representatives on Tuesday voted 216 to 210 to remove California Republican Kevin McCarthy from his position as House Speaker. This comes days after McCarthy reached an 11th-hour deal to avert a government shutdown with the help of House Democrats.

The ouster came after Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz acted Monday night to force a vote on a motion to vacate the office of the speaker, following through on a threat he made last week to take the gavel from McCarthy while the threat of a shutdown loomed.

McCarthy is the first House Speaker to be ousted through a vote of the full House in the middle of a congressional term. While other speakers throughout history have stepped down after losing the support of their party, McCarthy is the first to be removed in this manner.

McCarthy had secured the job with 15 votes back in January, but the faction of his own party forced his ouster. It is unclear who will take his place as House Speaker.

The vote to remove McCarthy is a reminder of the deep divisions within the Republican Party. It remains to be seen how this will affect the party’s ability to pass legislation in the future.