(Washington) The House of Representatives is in uncharted territory after the success of the far-right attempt to remove Republican Kevin McCarthy from the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives thanks to the support of Democrats.
A resolution — titled “Motion to Repeal” — introduced by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) passed Tuesday with support from eight Republicans and all Democrats present and voting. The vote makes Mr. McCarthy the first House speaker in history to be removed from office, a bitter humiliation that comes less than nine months after he took office.
Republican Patrick McHenry, who is now acting Speaker of the House, halted the House proceedings until the two parties decided a way forward. There is no clear successor to lead the Republican majority in the House now that Mr. McCarthy has chosen not to run again.
Here’s a look at what could happen.
Who runs the room now?
Immediately after the vote, Mr. McHenry, a close ally of Mr. McCarthy, was appointed interim speaker of the House, or speaker pro tempore. The North Carolina Republican was selected from a list that the Speaker of the House must maintain and which contains the names of members who could fill the position in the event of a vacancy.
Mr. McCarthy delivered this special list to the Clerk of the House in January, when he was first elected Speaker. Although Mr. McHenry can serve in this temporary position indefinitely, he does not have the full powers of a duly elected president, but only those powers that are deemed “necessary and proper” for the purpose of electing someone to that office, according to the rules. Which governs this position. the home.
Mr McHenry will not be able to introduce or withdraw any bills. He also does not have the authority to issue subpoenas or approve other official acts in the House that require the Speaker’s approval.
what is happening now?
Mr. McHenry’s first task will be to elect a new president.
At this time, it is not yet clear who House Republicans will nominate for president. Some representatives left the chamber on Tuesday intending to reappoint Mr. McCarthy and vote him president until he is elected. But now that he’s no longer running, the path is clear for any Republican.
Some members, including Mr. Gaetz, spoke of potential consensus candidates like Majority Leader Steve Scalise or Whip Tom Emmer, whom they see as unifiers. Other names under discussion include Rep. Kevin Hearn, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, and Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a favorite of the party’s right wing.
Once Republicans choose their presidential nominee, the House will have to vote as many times as necessary for the nominee to receive a majority of those present and voting for the presidency. The process can quickly become arduous, as was the case in January when Mr. McCarthy had to undergo an unprecedented 15 rounds of voting to win office.
Another boss?
When the presidential candidate receives a majority of votes, the clerk announces the election results.
In regular elections, held at the beginning of each convention, a bipartisan committee, usually composed of members from the chosen candidate’s home state, escorts the president-elect to the chair on the podium where he is sworn in. This oath is similar to the oath that new members will take once the president is chosen.
It is not certain that the same procedure will be followed in this case. It is customary for the minority leader to join his or her successor in the speaker’s chair, as they pass the gavel to each other in recognition of a possible future working relationship between one party leader and another.
