Kevin McCarthy Ousted In Historic House Vote

October 4, 2023 5:13 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. It’s the end of the political line for McCarthy, who has said repeatedly that he never gives up, but now has almost no options remaining. Neither the right-flank Republicans who engineered his ouster nor the Democrats who piled on seem open to negotiating. McCarthy told lawmakers Tuesday evening he would not run again for speaker. There is no obvious successor to lead the House Republican majority.