![]() Mark Meadows of North Carolina filed a resolution to declare the office of speaker vacant while John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, was serving as speaker. The last time a high-profile showdown played out on Capitol Hill over a motion to vacate was in 2015 when then-GOP Rep. ![]() Patrick McHenry, a top McCarthy ally, was named interim speaker. His or her first order of business: The election of a new speaker – and once again, the House will have to vote as many times as it takes to get someone to 218 votes, or a majority of those present and voting for a speaker. ![]() With McCarthy removed as House speaker, for now, the clerk pulls out that list, and the number one name on that list becomes the interim speaker. That vote would also only require a simple majority to succeed – and if it did succeed then there would not be a vote directly on the resolution to remove the speaker because the resolution would instead be tabled.Īccording to the reference guide “House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House,” the speaker is required to submit a confidential list to the Clerk of people “in the order in which each shall act as Speaker pro tempore in the case of a vacancy.” If a member introduces a resolution, but does not announce it from the floor, that would not force a vote or have any immediate impact – making it more of a symbolic threat or warning shot to the speaker.Ī vote on the resolution to remove the speaker would require a majority vote to succeed and oust the speaker from their leadership post.Ī vote on a resolution to remove the speaker could still be preempted, however, even once it is on track to come to the floor for consideration.įor example, when the resolution is called up on the floor, a motion to table – or kill – the resolution could be offered and would be voted on first. Doing that would then require the speaker to put the resolution on the legislative schedule within two legislative days – setting up a showdown on the floor over the issue. To force a vote, a member would need to come to the House floor and announce their intent to offer the resolution to remove the speaker. But simply filing the resolution does not force a vote on its own, though it would be sure to ignite a political firestorm and a debate over the speaker’s future. How does an effort to oust the speaker unfold?Īny member can file a House resolution to remove the speaker, as Gaetz did.Īccording to House precedent, a resolution to remove the speaker would be considered privileged, a designation that gives it priority over other issues. But threats over its use can be a powerful way to apply pressure to a speaker. It is a rarely used procedural tool – and no other House speaker has ever been ousted through the passage of a resolution to remove them. In practical terms, a motion to vacate the chair takes the form of a resolution to remove the speaker by declaring the speakership to be vacant. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, offered a motion to vacate the chair on the House floor. Tuesday’s vote for McCarthy’s ouster came after firebrand Rep. One major concession was to restore the ability of any one member to offer what’s known as a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair – a move that can trigger a House floor vote to oust the speaker. ![]() To win over critics and secure the speaker’s gavel in January, McCarthy and his allies made a series of concessions to conservatives. House Republicans control only a narrow majority, a dynamic that has left McCarthy with little room to maneuver and has given hardline conservatives outsized influence to exert pressure over the speaker. The California Republican, who was up against major challenges, including tough vote math and a conservative revolt against his speakership, was ousted in a 216-210 vote, with eight Republicans voting to remove McCarthy from the post. Kevin McCarthy has for now lost the House speaker’s gavel in an historic moment on the heels of a showdown on Capitol Hill over government funding.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |