Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy was removed from his role as Speaker of the House of Representatives on Oct. 3. You may think his removal came with good cause, but it was purely political. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL1) rose to the lectern to declare his motion to vacate the speakership, which is the final installment in a nine-month-long road of disdain against the Speaker.
This all comes after McCarthy worked with House Democrats to pass a continuing resolution that prevented the government from shutting down immediately, pushing the deadline to pass a bill to Nov. 17. Also included in the bill, was $16 billion in disaster relief funds and dropping aid given to Ukraine, which GOP lawmakers have been against.
Initially, a GOP stopgap bill was defeated in the House, leaving McCarthy no option but to collude with the other side. Notice how I said “collude” – which carries a negative connotation. Working across the aisle should be the norm, not something you get kicked out of office for. The bipartisanship and diligence Rep. McCarthy showed in ensuring our government and federal employees get paid should’ve been repaid differently, not an onslaught from the farthest right flank of the party.
Who’s going to fill his shoes? Well, the party’s most notorious figures took to the media to nominate President Donald J. Trump to the Speakership. To which he said in a press conference on Oct. 4, “I will do whatever is best for the country and the party.” Clearly, the president would take the position if he is voted in. However, it is severely unprecedented. The Speaker of the House is traditionally elected from the body of the House of Representatives. Trump does have the ability, you do not need to be a member of the House to be elected to the Speakership.
Will that happen, though? I doubt it. We heard this talk in January when there were fifteen ballots for Speaker. Congressmen Jim Jordan, Byron Donalds, Kevin McCarthy, and Donald Trump were all mentioned in contention for the position. It’s almost certain that President Trump will be the nominee for the GOP in 2024 and will go on to battle the presumptive Democrat nominee, President Joe Biden. That is where his focus is and will be, not the speakership.
