House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Has Been Voted Out

October 3, 2023 5:03 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been voted out of the job in an extraordinary showdown, a first in U.S. history. The 216-210 vote was forced by a contingent of hard-right conservatives and throws the House and its Republican leadership into chaos. McCarthy’s chief rival, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, brought forward the “motion to vacate,” drawing together more than a handful of conservative Republican critics of the speaker and many Democrats who say he is unworthy of leadership. Next steps are uncertain, but there is no obvious successor to lead the House Republican majority.  (Photo:  AP)