The current removal of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the US House of Representatives could have serious consequences for the internal politics of the United States.
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| Mr. Kevin McCarthy has had to leave his position as Speaker of the US House of Representatives. (Source: AP) |
Once in a century event
On October 3, with 216 votes in favor and 210 votes against, US Congressmen voted to remove US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from office.
Previously, the Republican Party controlled the House of Representatives with a narrow majority, 221 seats compared to 212 seats for the Democrats. In that context, only 5 "rebels" could threaten Mr. McCarthy's power once all Democrats voted to impeach him. This scenario happened when 8 Republican Representatives and 208 Democratic Representatives supported the proposal to "vacate" the position of House Speaker of the House of Representatives of Florida, Mr. Matt Gaetz.
Shortly after, Mr McCarthy accused Mr Gaetz of acting out of personal vendetta, after the Florida congressman was investigated for alleged crimes. The former House Speaker said he had “lost his job for upholding the law and the continuity of government”.
Meanwhile, Congressman Matt Gaetz has denied the allegations, claiming his actions were aimed at preventing Mr McCarthy's "policy failures".
This was the first time in history that the US House of Representatives had removed its leader. The legislature had tried to do the same on March 19, 1910, but Republican Speaker Joseph G. Cannon overrode the vote.
In addition, Mr. Kevin McCarthy became the Speaker of the House with the shortest term in office in the United States in nearly 150 years with 269 days (January 7 - October 3, 2023). Previously, in 1875, Mr. Michael C. Kerr served in this position for only 258 days. The shortest record was recorded by Mr. Theodore Pomeroy, who held this position for only one day, March 3, 1869. This politician was approved to fill the vacancy, waiting for a replacement after Congressman Schuyler Colfax resigned to become Vice President of President Ulysses S. Grant. However, this is what this Congressman accepted, when he announced his retirement on March 4.
As a result, McCarthy’s ally, Republican Rep. Patric McHenry, will assume the role of acting speaker. But he will only be in office for three days, performing “necessary and appropriate duties while the House votes to elect a new Speaker.” This is a complicated and potentially lengthy process, as McCarthy went through 15 rounds of voting to become House Speaker.
| This was the first time in history that the US House of Representatives had approved the removal of its own leader. The legislature had tried to do the same on March 19, 1910, but the Speaker of the House at the time, Republican Representative Joseph G. Cannon, overrode the vote. |
Serious impact
So how will this event impact the US government internally?
First , the impeachment of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the majority party in the legislature by the party's own members will damage the internal unity of the Republican Party. This once-in-a-century event will also negatively impact the party's position in the House and Senate. In addition, this will significantly affect the Republican Party's efforts in the 2024 presidential election.
Second , this event is the clearest evidence of the troubles that have beset the US Congress in recent times. Previously, veteran Democratic Senator Bob Menendez had to temporarily leave his position as head of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee to attend the trial of charges against him for corruption.
Mr. Menendez is accused of sharing detailed plans of the US Embassy in Egypt, through his wife, with a businessman in the North African country, who then sent the information back to Cairo. In addition, he is accused of publishing inside information related to US aid to Egypt.
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| Senator Mitch McConnell (center), the Senate minority leader, has twice had health problems in the middle of press conferences. (Source: AP) |
Recently, the Senate Minority Leader, veteran Senator Mitch McConnell, has been “frozen” in public speeches. Recently, veteran Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein was still involved in policy making until the last months before her sudden death at the age of 90. This has caused many American voters to worry about the health and spirit of leaders in particular and members of both houses of Congress in general, when both important legislative bodies of the United States are still the playground of “veterans”.
Third , Mr. McCarthy’s loss as Speaker of the House may reduce the hurdle for the current administration, but it will pose other equally complex challenges. First, although Mr. McCarthy has caused difficulties for the Joe Biden administration, he is still a person with whom White House officials are “familiar.”
More importantly, the change in the House of Representatives could make it harder to reach a deal on the final government budget. Previously, the McCarthy-led legislature had only passed a temporary budget by a narrow margin.
In that context, the removal of Mr. Kevin McCarthy from the position of Speaker of the US House of Representatives at this time could have serious consequences for the internal affairs of the United States.
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