McCarthy Loses Speaker Role After Congress Passes Funding to Avoid Shutdown

On September 29, 2023, the U.S. Senate voted 88-9 to pass a temporary spending bill that would keep the federal government funded until November 17. The bill had been approved by the House of Representatives only hours before. The spending bill had been arranged by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, and President Biden, among others. The president signed the bill into law shortly after it was passed. If Congress had not passed this bill, a government shutdown was likely. 

What Is a Government Shutdown? 

A government shutdown is when the various operations and services provided by the federal government stop due to a lack of funding. This can occur when Congress fails to pass a bill to fund the government’s budget. During a government shutdown, some key federal services and agencies are impacted. National parks and museums may close, and passport processing may be delayed. Federal employees may be forced to stay away from their jobs and receive no pay, causing financial strain for these workers. Essential services like law enforcement and air traffic control continue to operate, but their employees often work without pay until the shutdown ends.  

Trouble Agreeing 

Republicans who control the House of Representatives disagreed over how to fund the government for several weeks. House Speaker McCarthy introduced a funding bill after a closed-door meeting with House Republicans. McCarthy and some of his fellow Republicans had initially refused to consider any spending bill that required Democratic support. However, due to the potential harm of a government shutdown, the Speaker changed his position and called on Democrats to help pass the bill. Many Democrats supported his request and voted yes. 

McCarthy Voted Out 

The successful passage of the funding bill was a mark of bipartisan leadership for Speaker McCarthy. Just days after its passage, however, members of the House of Representatives voted to remove McCarthy as Speaker. The vote was 216 for his removal and 210 against his removal. Although he has the option to run for the position again, he has declined to do so. With McCarthy’s removal, the House now needs to select a new speaker. This situation is unusual, since no House speaker has ever been voted out of their position by a full Chamber vote during a congressional term. After the vote, Republican Representative Patrick McHenry, a close ally of McCarthy, was named interim, or temporary, speaker.  

Discussions about a potential successor to the Speaker of the House are underway. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Representative Jim Jordan have contacted House members about a potential bid for the speakership. On Wednesday, October 11, Scalise won a vote of the House Republican leadership. Scalise must now convince the rest of the Republicans in the House of Representatives to vote for him to become the Speaker. 

Republican Rebellion 

The effort to remove McCarthy was led by Republican Representative Matt Gaetz. Gaetz and other staunch conservatives disagreed with McCarthy about the priorities of the Republican Party. These conservatives were angry that McCarthy reached out to Democrats to support the spending bill. Democrats provided most of the votes to remove the speaker, citing their dissatisfaction with McCarthy’s political agenda. Eight Republicans also voted to remove McCarthy, including Representative Gaetz.  

The vote to remove McCarthy left many House Republicans surprised, frustrated, and concerned about the lack of leadership in this legislative branch of government. 

Dig Deeper Analyze the factors that led to the government funding bill’s passage or Speaker McCarthy’s removal. Consider the role of political parties, individual beliefs, and the consequences of the decisions made. How did this political event reflect the challenges of decision-making in Congress?