Kevin McCarthy has been ousted as Speaker of the US House of Representatives following a revolt by right-wing Republicans.
Less than a year after he secured the job after an historic 15 rounds of voting, Mr McCarthy has now lost the position after a 216-210 vote.
Over the weekend, Mr McCarthy successfully concluded a negotiation with Democratic Senators to fund US Government agencies and avoid a government shutdown.
The agreement horrified certain members of the Republican caucus and Congressman Matt Gaetz filed a procedural motion to sack him.
“At the end of the day, keeping the Government open and paying our troops was the right decision. I stand by that decision,” Mr McCarthy said before the vote.
“If I have to lose my job over it, so be it, but I’m going to fight for the American public, and I’ll continue to fight.”
I kept government open so the families of our troops and border agents could get paid.
If a handful of Republicans side with Democrats to remove me for that—it's a fight worth having. pic.twitter.com/BBz8yuC0ez— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) October 3, 2023
Republicans have a narrow 221-212 majority over House Democrats, so it took only a few defectors to bring Mr McCarthy’s brief period as Speaker to a close.
It is the first time in US history that a Speaker has been removed from office through a motion to vacate.
Main Image: Kevin McCarthy. Picture by: Alamy.com
