Washington [US], October 5: California Congressman Kevin McCarthy needed 15 rounds of voting to hold the gavel of Speaker of the US House of Representatives, but lost it after 9 months with just one vote - all of which are unprecedented. rule.
In a historic development in the US House of Representatives on October 3 (local time), 8 Republican lawmakers stood with 208 Democratic Party members to vote in favor of removing the Speaker of the House of Representatives from Mr. Mr. Kevin McCarthy, a Republican. With a result of 216 votes in favor - 210 votes against, the vote made Mr. McCarthy the first speaker of the House of Representatives to be deposed in US history, according to Reuters.
The bitter fall from the horse
It was the culmination of deep divisions within the Republican Party over the past year and the end of the power battle between Mr. McCarthy and far-right members who tried to prevent him from becoming speaker of the House of Representatives back in the day. January. This group of lawmakers has been confronting Mr. McCarthy ever since, trying to block his agenda and finally deciding to oust the leader after he compromised with Democrats to pass a temporary budget. helped avoid a government shutdown last weekend.
"It's my responsibility. This is my job. I don't regret negotiating; our government is designed to find compromise," Mr. McCarthy told reporters after the vote. votes, according to The New York Times. He also said he would not seek re-election for the position he held for nine tumultuous months.
Mr. McCarthy's bitter fall from power took place just one day after Republican congressman Matt Gaetz submitted a "motion to dismiss" the speaker of the House of Representatives, according to a regulation that Mr. McCarthy himself accepted to be able to win. election after 15 difficult voting rounds earlier this year. The far-right group of which Mr. Gaetz is a member believes that Mr. McCarthy failed to make stronger budget cuts for President Joe Biden's administration, "surrendered" to the Democrats, and failed to show leadership ability. religion.
In the days before the vote, Democrats weighed whether they should help Mr. McCarthy keep his seat or at least stay out of the effort to oust him. But in a closed meeting on the morning of October 3, Mr. Hakeem Jeffries, leader of the Democratic faction in the House of Representatives, instructed party members not to do so, on the grounds that the Republican Party was "not willing to break away from democracy". radicalism MAGA" (MAGA stands for the slogan "Make America Great Again" initiated by former US President Donald Trump).
What's next?
The dismissal of Mr. McCarthy has thrown the US House of Representatives into chaos, as well as increased challenges in the context that the US government may be shut down in a few weeks if lawmakers cannot pass it. Important bills on the federal budget.
After the vote, Republican Congressman Patrick McHenry was appointed interim speaker of the House of Representatives and decided to close this legislative body to give his colleagues time to find a new leader, according to The Wall newspaper. Street Journal. He said the introduction of candidates for the position is expected to take place on October 10 and voting may be conducted a day later. House operations, including government spending efforts, are suspended until then.
Potential replacements for Mr. McCarthy include two congressmen, Steve Scalise and Tom Emmer - respectively the No. 2 and No. 3 Republican figures in the House of Representatives when Mr. McCarthy was still in power. No one has publicly announced their intention to run for office, but American media reported that Mr. Scalise, who is fighting leukemia, has begun calling colleagues to consolidate support.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper