Now that Kevin McCarthy of California has been removed as Speaker, the House of Representatives is collectively asking this morning, “Well, now what?”
After the final vote on the motion to vacate the Speakership passed 216 to 210, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina took over the position of Speaker Pro Tem and recessed the House. McHenry was named to that role by McCarthy back in January when he became Speaker, in order to ensure that the House remained functional in case of a disaster.
A number of questions immediately arose after yesterday’s vote, such as:
- Would McCarthy run again? If so, could he win?
- Who else would run for Speaker?
- Who are the front-runners?
- When would the House vote?
- Could anyone get 218 votes from the current House Republican conference?
The House Republicans met yesterday afternoon/evening to discuss these and other issues. Things do not appear to be any clearer this morning.
McCarthy announced that he would not seek to reclaim the position. There were no names officially offered as a replacement during the meeting.
The House has recessed until next Tuesday, meaning no legislative activity can take place until that evening at the earliest. The chamber had been scheduled to take up several appropriations bills this week.
The recess was called in order for the House Republicans to set out a path forward, including providing time for those interested in pursuing the Speaker position to connect with their colleagues to gauge the level of support.
The House is truly navigating through uncharted territory at this point.