The House voted 216-210 to remove Kevin McCarthy as the Speaker, as seven Republicans joined with Matt Gaetz, along with 208 Democrats. This was the first time that a Speaker has lost such a vote and been removed.
Earlier in the day, Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, had issued instructions to the Democrats to not lift a finger to save McCarthy; and McCarthy had pretended that Gaetz was simply acting on a personal difference with McCarthy. Gaetz had stated that there was no personal issue, but rather there was a $2 trillion/year deficit which, along with the declining role of the US dollar for international trade, meant the country was facing chaos, and McCarthy had violated his commitment made to Gaetz and others when they acceded to allow him to have the Speaker position.
In the floor debate, Gaetz repeated that he isn’t creating chaos: “Chaos is speaker McCarthy… someone whom we cannot trust with his word…. I think $33 trillion in debt is chaos. I think a $2.2 trillion” annual deficit is chaos.” Gaetz proposed that the practice of continuing resolutions be halted, that Congress employ single subject bills and open amendments. He added that each side could lose sometimes, but “we could form partnerships that would not have been, uh, predictable” to address some key issues.
