Breaking News: Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, becomes the first House Speaker to be removed from office in a historic and divisive vote. Orange County’s congressional delegation split along party lines in this momentous decision.
Democratic Representatives Lou Correa of Anaheim, Mike Levin of San Juan Capistrano, Katie Porter of Irvine, and Linda Sánchez of Whittier all sided with Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida in voting to oust McCarthy. They aligned with House Democrats who were in favor of the removal.
On the other hand, Representatives Young Kim and Michelle Steel joined their Republican colleagues in an effort to retain McCarthy as House Speaker. Kim highlighted on social media, “I’m here to govern not grandstand… Enough with the games.”
Despite their efforts, McCarthy was removed by a close vote of 216 in favor and 210 in opposition. Notably, eight Republicans voted for the ouster.
Both Steel and Kim declined interviews after the vote, leaving their stance unknown.
Meanwhile, Correa, who voted for McCarthy’s removal, expressed his astonishment, stating, “I don’t think people on either side of the aisle were really expecting this to happen.”
The Anaheim Democrat speculated that McCarthy’s recent media interviews, where he blamed Democrats for the government chaos, may have influenced the outcome. It is worth noting that McCarthy successfully collaborated with Democrats to prevent a temporary government shutdown over the weekend.
Correa believed McCarthy’s criticism of Democrats was an attempt to placate the more “opinionated members of his caucus.” Interestingly, the eight Republicans who voted against McCarthy also shared the sentiment of not wanting him to cooperate with Democrats.
Correa expressed hope that this surprising vote would serve as a catalyst for Congress to prioritize bipartisan collaboration and effectively govern the country for the sake of taxpayers.
Levin, Porter, and Sánchez, in statements provided after the vote, criticized McCarthy for his leadership style and his association with former President Donald Trump. Levin accused McCarthy of surrendering to extremist elements within his party, while Porter emphasized that House Republicans need to demonstrate their ability to govern.
Gaetz, a far-right Republican from Florida, had been threatening for months to use a procedural tool known as a motion to vacate to strip McCarthy of his office. The threats intensified after McCarthy relied on Democrats to avoid a government shutdown.
A motion to vacate is a rare and powerful procedural tool that has been used against Republican speakers only twice in the past century. Today marks the first time in history that a speaker has been forced to vacate the speaker’s chair.
Immediately following the vote, Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, a key McCarthy ally, assumed the gavel as speaker pro tempore according to House rules. He will serve in this interim position until a new speaker is selected.
In a separate development, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi did not participate in Tuesday’s vote as she is attending the funeral of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein in San Francisco. According to her spokesperson, on X, Pelosi expressed sadness at not being present for this historic vote.
McCarthy was elected House Speaker in January after a tumultuous 15-round ballot that lasted into the post-midnight hours, making it the longest speaker’s vote since the Civil War era.
On the same day that one California lawmaker was removed from a leadership position, the Senate swore in another: former union leader Laphonza Butler, who will serve the remainder of Feinstein’s term.
This story has been updated. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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